Vowed For Eternity
by imgilmoregirl
Summary: Belle, princess of Avonlea, had been promised to marry the Dark One ever since she was sixteen, but when the time comes and he cames to cash in his debt and wed her, things doesn't happen the way she expected them to. Now, locked in a tower by her new husband, the only thing Belle has to distract herself with, is a magic mirror that might show her that there is a man behind the bea
1. A Meanless Vow

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time or any of the characters and storylines in the show. This is just a fanwork made for fun._**

 _This story is a gift to my dear friend and beta Ethereal_Wishes. Here is my thank you for all the help you've been given me these last few months, I really hope you like this fic._

 _I'm really excited with this new work, as I already have a great part of it planned and can't wait to write the rest. So, Ethereal_Wishes prompted: Mirrors, magic, isolation in a tower, arranged marriage._

 _ **Warning:** This fic has lots of angst and child's death included, so if you feel uncomfortable with any of this, please don't read._

* * *

In all the realms, girls expect anxiously the day of their wedding. They made plans, daydreamed about the ceremony, wondered about the marital life and talked over and over again about their gowns and jewels. Most girls were happy when they got married, even some of the ones that had an arranged match, but inside the giant castle at the centre of Avonlea, was the saddest bride anyone has ever seen.

Belle, the king's only daughter, had been promised to a man, that wasn't exactly a man, but a monster. Everybody talked about, about how cruel, how nefarious and how mean he was which only got her to fear her wedding day more than anything else. The young girl had been dealt to the Dark One when she was sixteen, some months after her mother passed and the war against the ogres had almost destructed their kingdom. Now, three years later, he had appeared in the castle, claiming for his debt to be paid.

She knew that somehow, he had been kind enough to let her grown fully into a woman before taking her, but even so, Belle was terrified of what life with him might be like. Only once, she had seen him, in the occasion her father made that deal with the monster, that said that he could easily send the ogres away if the king promised his daughter's hand in marriage for him, and without other option, the deal was sealed. At that time, Belle was a young girl, with prominent pinkish cheeks and bright blue eyes, while the Dark One was a scaled skinny creature with reptilian eyes and a unique green-gold skin.

When he came to the castle a second time, two weeks ago, she hadn't had the opportunity to see him, all she knew was that he was coming back that night for the ceremony before she had to leave permanently to his home, a place he called the Dark Castle. Honestly, after hearing the things her maids had been muttering around ever since the preparations for the wedding started, Belle expected to be rudely ravished each and every night from now on, maybe even tortured for his fun, if he was the sadist, people seemed to think that he was.

Rumplestiltskin, was his name and she had no idea of what were his plans for her. Belle let the maids tighten her bodice until she could barely breath, she didn't question when they pulled her on a golden gown, when all the brides wore white. Her life was now in the hands of the man people called beast and he would have full control over everything he wished about her.

For someone who always dreamed of heroics, of having adventures like the ones she read about in the books, Belle felt like a little bird about to be locked in a cage and she cried for her lost freedom one last time before pulling on a cold mask that hid her feelings, telling herself that she was doing her sacrifice for the people she loved and that was already something great, because most woman never got to do anything like that.

She held up her chin as the maids lead her to the great hall where the ceremony would happen a new motto forming in her head. Do the brave thing and bravery will follow.

* * *

There was something in the king's daughter that attracted Rumplestiltskin to her right from the first moment he saw her. Maybe it was something about how her curiosity was clearly in the glow of her eyes, or how she clutched the book she was holding against her chest, like it was something immensely precious. He didn't know for sure, but he knew by the moment her father begged for help that she would be his price. In that occasion, she was way too young to be the wife he intended to have and as much as people thought otherwise, the Dark One wasn't cruel enough to steal such a young girl from her family that way, so he gave her a few years and a gift.

Before leaving Avonlea for the first time, he made a beautiful mirror appear and told her to look at it every single day, so she could see the beauty the other admired in her, but in fact he had gifted her with that object because it was enchanted and liked to a mirror he kept in his own chambers, so every time she looked at it, he saw her. And for three long years, the Dark One longed to make the princess his wife, however, now that he was there, wearing a beautiful blue and gold outfit, he started to reconsider his decision like he never did in his deals.

He still wanted her with all his being, that hadn't changed, but yet, when he thought about her innocent gaze in the mirror, he remembered that she was just a girl, very pure and lovely, not matter how many time had passed. But as insecure as he was now feeling, Rumplestiltskin never stepped back in a deal and it wasn't now that he was going to do this, so he waited patiently with all the other guests of the wedding as she walked down the aisle, the most gorgeous creature he had ever set eyes on, wearing his favourite colour as her father brought her to him with a guilty expression on his face.

The imp took her soft hand in his and noticing how frightened Belle seemed to be, how haunted her expression was, despite the fact that she was clearly trying to look as calm and obedient as possible. that made him feel like a true monster for the first time in a really long time and he had done worst things than making a young lass marry him before. Breathing in deeply, he led his beautiful bride to the altar, where a priest her father had summoned has waiting to wed them.

He said all the things he should, even though it appeared that it was costing a lot to the bald man to celebrate that wedding. Of course, no sane man would want a beautiful innocent girl to be married to a monster, but Rumplestiltskin was powerful, people feared him, so nobody would ever dare to defy him.

When it was time, he turned around to face his bride, taking both of her shaking hands on his own and looking right at her big blue eyes that were widened and glistening with unshed tears. The Dark One watched when her throat made a slight movement, showing that she was swallowing her fears, the guilty of this moment consuming him more and more at each sign of fear that he caught in the princess.

It wasn't right, he decided, to do this to her. Certainly, he wouldn't step back now, but wasn't going to force her to keep going with this after they went home. But let everybody thinks that everything was fine, he held up his chin and made his vows.

"From now on and to the whole eternity beyond, I belong to you, just like you belong to me," Rumplestiltskin recited. "I take you, Belle of Avonlea as my wife, the other half of my soul and my heart, until my days are over."

He took the wedding ring he had brought for her, a stunning white gold piece full of big diamonds and slid it to her finger, bringing her hand up so he could kiss her knuckles gently, before he looked back at her blushing face and heard the shaken words coming from her mouth.

"From now on and the whole eternity beyond," she repeated, her voice low and uncertain, "I belong to you, just like you belong to me. I take you Rumplestiltskin, Dark One, as my husband, the other half of my soul and my heart, until my days are over."

She put the moonstone ring she got for in on the imp's finger and he realised how everything sounded cold and pointless when he couldn't even meet his after kissing his hand like he did hers. The priest stepped forward, lifting both his hands as if presenting them to the silent, morbid crowd.

"You are vowed for eternity and nothing can separate one from the other," the bald man said. "I declare you officially, husband and wife."

There were a lot of clapping, although he knew that nobody was really celebrating the princess horrible fate, just doing what they knew that they should. Rumplestiltskin pulled on a smug smile and held Belle closer while they walked away from the great hall, but he didn't give himself the pleasure of tasting his bride's lips for the first time, like it was usual. No, he could want her more than anything else, but he would never allow himself to touch her. He had already been beastly enough to take away her freedom, now he would guarantee that her innocence remained intact.

* * *

Despite of the vows, they didn't talk at all. Belle realised that this was probably how things were going to be from now on, no talk, just endless moments where she was forced to play the part of the good wife and pray to not be killed, while Rumplestiltskin enjoyed her suffering with that daring little smirk of his. She said her goodbyes to her father and friends, assuring them that she would be alright, even though Belle didn't believe it at all, then she went to where the chest with her things had been placed and waited for her husband to come along, expecting him to call for his servants and drag her to his carriage, but instead, he walked slowly towards her and waved a hand.

All she knew was that in the next second she had appeared inside some huge chambers, the chest now laying in front of a big bed. Belle tried to steady her breath, that was now coming in pants due to her nervous state, because she knew what was supposed to come next: the consummation. She dropped her eyes to the wooden floor, not wanting to meet her husband's gaze when he stepped into her direction to brush his weird textured hand on her neck, causing a shiver to pass through her body.

His touch, however, was way more gentle and full of care than she could have ever imagined that it would be and she hoped that he continued to be so soft until it was all over and he had gotten what he wanted from her, but, to her surprise, Rumplestiltskin let his hand fall down to his side again and just kept staring at her. Curious, Belle lifted her eyes, looking at him with narrowed brows without understand why he was just standing there without doing anything and he seemed to notice that he was making a fool of himself.

"I hope you have a great night," the imp managed to mumble, turning his back to her and making his way to one of the three doors on the room.

"Wait!" Belle called. "Where are you going?"

Her heart was beating fast and she was extremely frightened over what he might do to her inside those chambers, but she did not understand why he would choose to leave, or if it was all a part of his dark plans for her, but she needed to know.

"I have work to do," he explained. "You're not allowed to leave this tower or this room. The door will remain locked, but you'll have everything you need on your reach."

Belle opened her mouth, but for a long moment nothing came, however when she had overcome the shock, she made him a question: "So, you didn't bring me here to be your wife, but your prisoner?"

He sighed, eyes wandering around the room, avoiding to fix on her, because he wanted to do the right thing for once in his life and she didn't seem to get it.

"Aye," Rumplestiltskin answered in his most impish tone. "I brought you here to lock you for the rest of your life, or do you think that somebody like me would choose such a common lass to carry my offspring? No, I would never lay with you, but the deal I made with your father needed a price, one that costed him everything he most loved and it was you."

Fresh new tears filled Belle's eyes and this time she couldn't help but to let some of them slid down her face. She would never be free again and out of what she expected, she didn't have a husband but a captor that cared nothing about her and who she would probably never see again after that night.

Earlier she had been fearing what it meant to be the Dark One's wife, now she had to face the fact that she was no one anymore and locked in that tower, she would soon be forgotten by everyone. Belle would die without putting a foot outside or seeing the sun in the fully open sky, instead of the small frames of the windows of that room and she bet, that if she looked outside, she would realise that she was on the top of the tower, which made trying to escape completely impossible. She was lost, totally and utterly lost.

"You just wanted to make my father suffer, didn't you?" She asked, sniffling.

"Yeah. I'd like to think that he will spend the rest of his days blaming himself for let an old monster take you."

The princess bit down her lip, waving her head at his words. This was the kind of nightmare from which she apparently couldn't escape and she just wished that Rumplestiltskin had never appeared to safe Avonlea when the kingdom was falling. Maybe they could have found another solution to end the war that didn't evolve her being held captive by the man that vowed to be hers for the rest of the eternity in front of every single person that loved her.

"Oh, you really are a beast."

"That I am, dearie, that I am," he chuckled, trying not to show her any emotion and started to walk back to the door. "Enjoy your stay. It will last as long as your heart beats."

Rumplestiltskin went out of the room, letting the door shut open behind him and Belle ran to it, grabbing the knob with some blind hope that he might not have meant anything he said and it was really open, but of course, it wasn't. She bashing her fists against the door with rage grunting furiously before she let herself fall to the floor, where she stayed for a long time, crying for all the things she lost.

Belle had no idea how many time had passed when she finally looked up, brushing her curls away from her face and sitting on her heels. The girl looked around, trying to familiarize herself with the room that would be her home for the rest of her days. The bed seemed comfortable and had lots of pillows nestled above it, a desk was placed by the right wall beside a big dresser, on the left one was a fireplace in front of which were two red armchairs and near Belle, was the doors. She stood up, peeking a look inside of the two that weren't locked and finding a bathroom and a closet that was filled with gowns.

"Yeah, at least he wasn't lying about providing everything I needed," she muttered to herself, passing her fingers through the fabric of the dresses and finding a nightgown she really liked.

Picking it, Belle took the piece of clothing to the bed put it aside as she started to strip all the layers of her dress, discarding everything and pulling on the nightgown. She walked to the chest she had brought and sat in front of it, opening the lid and starting to take the things out. There were some books that she placed on the desk, but one specifically, she pulled on the bed, where she could read before being dragged to unconsciousness, hoping that maybe there she could have some remarkable adventure, that would never happen in real life. Carefully Belle placed all of her gowns on the closet, near to the new ones, before facing the last item inside the chest and picking it.

She climbed up the bed, sliding inside the covers with her favourite book on her lap and the mirror Rumplestiltskin had gifted her with when they first met.

During three years she had stared at it, believing that the fact that her future husband admired her beauty enough to give her something like this with the meaning he had implied meant that he cared for her, even if so slightly, but on that night, it only served to remember her of how beastly and manipulative he was. She saw her getting wide as she looked at the mirror, the insistent tears coming back to fill her eyes as a sob erupted from her throat. That was when one tear fell down to it, splashing on the surface of the mirror and making a golden glow take it.

Belle gasped, surprised and touched her reflex in the mirror, watching it become blurry until her image was no longer there, but was now replaced by the image of a room she had never seen. It was probably larger than hers, but also decorated in black and red, very beautiful, but very dark and when she saw the man walking to the windows with a glass on his hands.

Rumplestiltskin drank slowly, looking to the gardens outside the castle and he seemed to be incredibly calm, until she realised that his shoulders were shaking. The Dark One was in fact crying and now she had something that allowed herself to see him and discover things like that, that made him human, because as she watched him sob, Belle decided that there definitely was a man behind this beast and she was determined to find it.

* * *

 _ **Ending notes:** This fic is a gift for my beta, which means no beta here. So, my apologies if there is something wrong with my writing. English is not my first language. Plus, we are going to have daily updates for this one!_

 _Thank you all for reading!_


	2. Through The Mirror

Belle realised sadly, that she could only observe Rumplestiltskin when he was in his chambers. She got some time thinking about and decided that the obvious conclusion for that was that he had another mirror like this one and it was it what was allowing her to see him. This conclusion got her a little concerned, wondering if he could see her through it too, so whenever she wasn't trying to peek a look at his life, she left the mirror aside with the reflecting surface facing the dark coloured desk.

During her first week at the Dark Castle, Belle discovered a lot of interesting things. The first one and that seemed to lead all the other was that Rumplestiltskin's magic commanded this place. Meals appeared for her four times a day: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. The bathtub filled itself with hot water right after the sunset and as soon as she got out of bed, the covers readjusted themselves, so she never need to do anything, not even cleaning, as her room never seemed to collect any dust. It gave her poor options of what to do and after the princess ended the last book she brought from home, she thought she would just start getting made locked in that place with nothing to do, but more books appeared in her desk, as if Rumple knew exactly what she was up to and when.

But even so, life in that place was incredible boring and frustrating. Belle missed having someone to talk so much that after the second week, she would speak her thoughts aloud just to be sure that her voice still worked. However, her favourite part of the day continued to be the one where she got a glimpse of Rumplestiltskin through the mirror.

He didn't stay much in his chambers, she realised, not even during the evening when he should be sleeping, but when he usually appeared in sight he was doing interesting things like packing tiny bottles and weird objects in a small leather bag or just walking around with a parchment in hands, seeming to analyse it carefully. She saw him writing one once, three times he had to pull the mirror away, because he started to undress, and in some occasions, she watched him sleeping in wonder.

The scenes she saw were so normal and simple, that she started to ponder why he made himself a best when he was near people, when he acted like a perfectly common man when he was alone.

A whole month had passed by, when something unexpected happened. Belle was already in bed, reading by the light of the candles when she caught, with the corner of her eyes, a movement in the image of the mirror that was laid by her side. Quickly leaving the book aside to take a look at it, finding Rumplestiltskin grumbling and wandering around like a summer storm. He was irritated, that was clear and she didn't know what could have happened to get him in such a nervous state, but Belle was almost exploding into laugher with such a funny image.

She chuckled slightly as he mumbled something unintelligible, furrowing to the fireplace and taking off his leather coat before reaching for the jar that was on the little table in the corner of the room, filling a cup with what she knew to be water, as a identical set as this one, was placed in her own room. He drank thirty and then threw the silver cup against the wall, what instead of scaring her only made Belle guffaw.

"Oh, your silly man," she said to the image on mirror.

The Dark One immediately froze, which made Belle's heart attempt to stop. He looked around, uncertain, eyes narrowed and a frown on his brow.

"Who is there?" Rumplestiltskin asked to the empty chambers.

"Oh, no," Belle swallowed.

How was it possible that he was hearing her now when he never did before? Did his mirror showed him her image too? She had no answer for that, but she thought she might never have had spoken a thing the other times she was watching him through the mirror and the fear of getting caught made the blood feel like ice in her veins.

"Belle?" The imp called. "Belle, your little wicked girl, how did you manage to escape that tower?"

He stepped forward, trying to get a better view of the full chambers to see where she might be hiding when his glance fell to the mirror that was placed in his desk and with a wave of his hand, the spell he had taken from it the night he brought his new wife to the castle, settled itself again, making it glow and show the image of Belle's frightened face staring at it.

"What the hell are you doing?" He screamed at her. "How did you enchant this mirror?"

"I - " the girl started to say, but needed to gather a lot more courage to continue. "I didn't. When I arrived here I was crying, I think some tears fell down to the surface and then it just shined and started to show your room."

He breathed, angrily, walking closer to get a better view of the girl. Her hands were cold and shaken around the mirror, because ever since the wedding she hadn't shared a word with her husband and he now was staring right at her through that magic object that strangely connected them. Suddenly very aware that she is only wearing a thin nightgown, Belle wraps herself in the pink shawl she has on her shoulders, trying to give herself some modesty.

The imp's reptilian eyes analyse her carefully, still showing that same irritation, but with some curiosity shinning in them.

"It wasn't supposed to happen," Rumplestiltskin said, moody. "Have you been watching me?"

Belle's cheeks flushed with colour at the question. She thought about lying, but she knew that he could see the real answer stamped in her face.

"Yes," she muttered, ashamed.

"Oh, but you won't anymore, because this will end today, dearie."

He lifted his hand and she immediately got startled, because she knew that if he wished to end her only distraction, then he must do this with magic and it would be done quickly.

"No!" Belle screamed. "Please, don't do this. I've been feeling so alone here and seeing you comforts me."

Something between a chuckle and a gasp left his mouth.

"How could the image of a beast comfort you, girl?"

"You're not the monster you think you are," she said, waving her head at him. "And I'd like to talk to you more often."

Through the mirror, she could watch every single expression that passed through his face as if Rumplestiltskin was sitting there on the bed, right in front of her. She saw when his eyebrows narrowed and his mouth opened slightly in surprise, just as well as she saw when he pulled on his cruel Dark One mask again.

"Why?" He asked with genuine interest.

"Because I'm your wife, as much as you want to think otherwise," Belle answered with a shrug. "And because I think that you are fascinating."

This time, he really laughed, even though she could see that it was a contained laugh. "You know, I think I married a mad woman."

Belle giggled softly. Most days she didn't like to think that she was really the Dark One's wife, because apart from the vows they made, there was nothing that proved that she really was his. Rumplestiltskin didn't really speak to her, refused to consummate their marriage and locked her in that tower, expecting to never see her again. However, now that she was looking right at his eyes and seeing him more relaxed, joking about her, made Belle realise for the first time that maybe, being married to him wasn't such a horrible thing, at least if they were to share a life together, what clearly seemed impossible to happen.

"Maybe you did," the girl smirked, "but you'll never know for sure if you don't give yourself a change to truly know me."

"And tell me, dearie, why would I want to know you?"

"You wanted me here for some reason and I don't believe it was just to make my father suffer, like you said."

His lips tightened until they formed a thin line, but its corners were lifted in a discrete smile. Belle leaned against the pillows, fingers tracing the golden frame of the mirror.

"You think too much," Rumplestiltskin bounced.

"Well, what can I say?" She replied, innocently. "You gave me a lot of time to do so."

The imp rolled his eyes.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"No, I should be reading, but you interrupted me with your little attack. What was it about?"

His expression chanced, a sudden darkness taking it as he pulled away from the mirror, eyes avoiding to meet hers. That whatever had happened had affected him a lot, Belle already knew, but the way it made him seem to be lost behind his beastly mask again, made her understand that there was way more to Rumplestiltskin's story than she could ever guess.

Someone had done this to him, she didn't know who, when or how, but she knew that it was impossible that he, in his loneliness in that castle could have managed to stress himself that way. Unless of course, if he had talking objects and furniture, with wasn't that impossible since he was a powerful sorcerer, but she doubted that Rumplestiltskin was the type that felt so in need of company that would enchant things to talk to him. No, if he wanted company, then he would get a real living-breathing person.

And maybe, she concluded, that was his first intention when he brought her here, to have a companion. It made sense, as he strictly demanded her to be his wife, and Belle imagined that he had his own needs that he hoped to satisfy with her. She started to ask herself if he had ever been touched by a woman before or if he was just as innocent and inexperienced as her and that was why he decided not to consummate their marriage, afraid of make himself look like a young fool in bed.

The girl was so lost in thoughts that she barely heard when he spoke again.

"None from your business," Rumplestiltskin answered, harshly.

She moved her head trying to analyse him again, but he wouldn't let his eyes met hers. "You seemed pretty angry."

"I was."

"With who?"

He looked up at her, intrigued. She made way too many questions, but he was enjoying this time with her and he liked to see the way she laughed at him, the way she blushed, the way she payed attention to his face when he was speaking. Belle made his problems vanish away and some kind of strange joy settle itself on his heart, she looked beautiful in that moment that the only thing he hand to do was to run his fingers through her gorgeous curled hair.

"It is time for you to sleep," he said, trying to convince her to end this conversation as much as he was trying to convince himself.

Belle nodded, catching her lower lip between her teeth in a way that made him feel warmer. "Alright, I'll put the mirror down, but promise me that you won't undo the spell in it."

Chuckling, the imp waved his head at her apparent despair. The poor girl must have been having a horrible time in that tower, but her stay in that place was needed, for her own protection, because if she went out, he would be tempted to do all the things he had planned to with her before he found out how frightened she was in their wedding day.

"I don't want you to keep an eye on everything I do, of course I'll undo the spell."

"Rumplestiltskin, please," the girl begged. "I promise you that I'll keep it buried inside a drawer if you promise me that every evening you'll appear in it to talk to me."

"Ah, I have a little dealmaker here," he said with a smirk full of wonder. "There is only a problem with your plan, dearest: there is nothing that benefits me in it."

Belle rolled her eyes before casting him a sceptical glance that told him that now she didn't think that he was terrifying anymore, but she probably did think that he was a great idiot. It was almost like she could see through him, looking straight to the soul he hid behind his many walls.

"You'll have someone to talk too," she pointed out.

"Who said that I need it?"

"I am saying."

The imp took a long time to think about it, in which Belle kept waiting nervously with her heart tumbling inside her chest and causing her to feel a little breathless. She couldn't believe she had just made an offer like that for the Dark One, but the gods knew how desperate for any kind of human contact she was and talking to him, made her feel so good, that she just wanted it to become something usual.

"I'll be in front of the mirror tomorrow right after the sunset," Rumplestiltskin finally said. "You can speak, if it helps you feeling less lonely."

A big smile formed in her lips.

"I can't wait!"

Shaking his head, the imp stood up, clearly bringing the mirror with him as he didn't disappear from her sight. "Go to sleep, Belle."

She saw some parts of the rooms, before he placed the thing inside somewhere and it all went black. Still smiling she slipped off the bed and went straight to her dressed opening the first drawer and putting her own mirror inside with a low squealing of excitement. Tomorrow she would have someone to talk to again and that made her so indefinitely happy that for the first time in weeks Belle couldn't sleep immediately after she went back to bed.

* * *

She thought that she was dreaming. It was the only explanation that her foggy brain could form in her half-asleep state, eyes opening slightly with the sound of steps in her room, but not yet finding strength enough to make her wake fully. Her breath kept constant and her body felt heavy, but she was aware that something was happening inside her chambers.

Belle felt when the textured hand slid down her arm, she felt the careful fingers smoothing her hair and she wanted to grip at him, bring him close and beg him to stay, because she couldn't handle being alone anymore, but she was too tired, her conscience almost drowning back into the darkness. It didn't prevent her from feeling when his face bent over, dry lips brushing against her ever so gently and quickly that it could have not happened, but she knew that it had. He vanished right after that and she went back to sleep.

So, in the morning when Belle woke up, she expected to keep trying to conciliate her memories until it was evening again and she could face Rumplestiltskin and ask him what he thought he was doing in the night prior, but when she looked to the other side of the bed, she saw that a rose was placed in there.

The Dark One wanted Belle to know that he had visited her.


	3. Discovery

Never before Belle thought that a flower could distract her so much as the rose Rumplestiltskin left for her did. She spent the whole day smelling its perfume, walking around her chambers and remembering everything she could about her husband's soft touches in the night prior. He had kissed her, while he thought that she was asleep and for some reason that thought made her heart race and warmth come to her face.

She tried to read, but for the first time, the girl couldn't manage to focus on the words written in those pages, as her mind was very far away, almost out of reach. Her conversation with the Dark One last night had been good and she couldn't help feeling anxious, for the sun to set outside her windows, so she could reach for the mirror and finally talk to him.

Leaving her book aside, Belle went to the closet, looking at the gowns in doubt, because some strange thing inside her, made her feel like she needed to be more well-dressed than she was last night. Of course, she knew that Rumplestiltskin would barely see her clothes through that mirror, but even so, she picked a light-blue gown that was incredibly simple, if compared to the ones she wore at her father's castle, but which seemed to be just right for the moment. She wasn't a princess anymore after all, and neither she was the important lady that she thought she would be, as the Dark One's wife, she was just a prisoner, but she had the right of looking good too.

Belle took a long, relaxing bath, dressed herself and sat in one of the chairs that was near the fireplace, waiting without any patience for the night to come. When it finally did, she almost run to the dresser, picking the mirror and looking to the dark image that was being showed in there, before she caught some glimpses of the chambers where her husband slept and then, finally saw him. Her breath got caught on her throat for a moment, as she faced him in a cream shirt and a red waistcoat, because the only occasion she had seen him wearing another colour but black was during their wedding and even so, he had worn a really dark shade of blue.

That was so unlikely him, but it made him look handsome. And sure, she couldn't believe that she was thinking that the Dark One, with all his scales, was handsome, but with all the time she had already spent locked in there, she must have started going crazy.

"You were here last night," Belle finally said, when she found her voice again.

"That I was."

Good, at least he wasn't denying it at all.

"Why?"

"I left you a gift," Rumplestiltskin shrugged.

Her gaze fell to the rose that was still laid in the centre of her bed, above the covers. She didn't believe that he had come there just to bring her a flower and even in the fogginess of her half-asleep state, she had felt his touches and a shiver passed through her body just at the remembrance of the way he had ran a hand down her arm. It felt good. The way their lips touched hers for a brief second, felt good too and as scaring as it was, it made a small part of her want more.

"Yeah, you did more than that," she pointed with blushing cheeks and a harsh tone. "Why did you kiss me? I thought that I wasn't good enough for you."

He shooked his head, clearly not ready to talk about that, but she was determined to make him speak, to take some answer from him. Dark One or not, he didn't have the right to bring her there, say that he never really wanted her and lock her just to sneak to her chambers during the night to kiss her.

"Have you enjoyed the books I've been providing you?" Rumplestiltskin asked, trying to change the subject of that conversation.

The imp never meant to get caught. He had brought the rose to cheer her up and let her know that, even if it was in his strange way, he did care about her, but then he saw her laid there so peacefully in that bed, looking so beautiful and pure and everything he had ever wished for and he wasn't able to control himself. But he thought that she was asleep, and that it would be no harm to prove her lips just one time, but now she knew what he had done and he certainly had a new problem to deal with.

"You did not answer my question," Belle bounced and he could see for the balance in the image that she was walking, before she settled herself, leaning against a chair.

"Neither have you answered mine."

"I enjoyed them, I'm still enjoying each one that appears in my desk."

The tiniest of the smiles appeared in his lips. "That's good."

Eyes narrowing, Belle looked at him in a way that let it clear that she wasn't going to let him scape from her interrogatory so easy. He had done something that intrigued her and made her feel close to him, so she needed him to speak.

"Why did you kiss me?"

"Why do you like reading so much?" He asked back.

"Rumplestiltskin!" She exclaimed, clearly angry, before taking a deeper breath to calm herself, knowing that she wasn't going to get anywhere by just keep insisting in that question. "Oh, alright, I like it because I find adventure in those books. When I'm reading, I can be anywhere but this stupid tower."

"Well, I'm glad that you have a hobby to distract you for the next few years," he said in a mockery tone. "Maybe you'll learn to like to knit when you get older."

Belle had to bite down her tongue, not to shout all the things she wanted to, at him. Stupid, stupid, man. Why was it so difficult to him to be good? If he just opened himself a bit and tried to be a little gentler, then she was totally sure that people could actually grow to like him, like she was starting to do, despite of all his efforts to make sure that she would only feel hate for him.

But then, his actions were a little contradictory, because if he truly wanted her to hate him, why would he bring her a flower and kiss her? And why would he refuse to talk about? Unless, if he was starting to like her too.

"You think yourself so funny and amusing, huh?" Belle queried. "Let me tell you something, Rumplestiltskin, hurting people is not the way you get to any kind of happiness."

"I'm not looking for happiness, dearie."

"No, you're certainly not," she muttered, waving her head at him. "So, let's analyse the situation again. You came to my chambers last night, you kissed me and left me a flower. Why would the terrible Dark One do that?"

And now she got him. Rumplestiltskin swallowed hard, trying to think about something clever to say, but she was smarter than any lie he could invent.

"Perhaps he was trying to test you, see if you wouldn't wake up and scream," he said in his most threatening voice. "Perhaps next time, he will claim his right to your bed and actually make you his, defiling you in the quiet of the night."

"I doubt it," Belle answered with no more than a roll of her blue eyes. "I think you feel as lonely as I do and you have a heart hidden somewhere inside you."

Giving her a smirk Rumplestiltskin said: "If I didn't, I wouldn't be alive."

Alright, he is an idiot, Belle thought. They talked just a little bit more that night and the imp was the first to suggest that they went to sleep and so they did, pulling down they separate mirrors and going to their own beds.

* * *

For the next two months, they shared small talks through the mirrors. Sometimes, Belle tried to ask him personal questions, but he always changed the subject whenever she attempted to get to him.

If you asked any of them, both would deny, but they looked forward to the evenings every single day, for the moment where they would see each other's face, laugh a little and feel lighter and less lonely. In some occasions, Rumplestiltskin would be out to make his deals, but he would always bring his mirror with him, so he could see the girl imprisoned in the highest tower of his castle, the one that was now so precious to him.

Today, however, both of them were home and Rumple talked to her from his bed, while she was sat on the same spot as always, in a chair near the fireplace. Her fingers danced around the frame of the mirror, not daring to do what they truly wanted and draw invisible lines, following the contours of his face. She glanced at the locked door, sighing before letting her eyes wander back to him, worrying at her lip.

"Are we - " Belle started a little unsure. "Are we in the same place?"

"We are in different towers of the castle."

"Could you come over here?"

"No," Rumplestiltskin hurried to answer.

He couldn't believe she had actually asked him to go to her chambers, but as crazy as he thought that Belle might be, he also didn't trust her at all.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

"It would be just for a little while," the girl insisted, "and we could do something together."

This time, he laughed, slightly. Rumplestiltskin couldn't imagine anything they could do together, unless if she planned on reading aloud to him or learning how to spin straw into gold. But she must be very silly to call a beast to the privacy of her chambers when he had been there before, kissing her without any consent.

"Like what? Play chess?"

"I don't know," the girl shrugged. "Maybe."

"Belle," he said, very slowly, "you don't want my company."

"I like talking to you."

Once again, he chuckled in disbelief, thinking that she was too good to be a part of his life, while the voices in his head screamed with him, saying that she was just looking for a way to slay the monster, so she could run away and be free to marry another. He refused to hear those voices and focused in the bright depths of her eyes.

"That's because you're a little crazy," Rumplestiltskin said.

Belle inhaled deeply, pulling the mirror a little closer.

"Please, come here, have dinner with me and then you can leave," she proposed. "I just want to feel that I'm not alone and you came over once when you thought that I was asleep, so it is only fair that you come again when I'm totally awake."

"I'm going to regret it," he murmured before waving his hand and letting a purple cloud of smoke take him to her chambers.

The imp appeared in front of her, making the girl gasp.

"You're here!" Belle exclaimed in surprise, dropping the mirror to her lap.

"You called me."

"Yeah, but I thought you would refuse," she answered, pulling the mirror aside and standing up. What he couldn't imagine, however, was what she was going to do next, because Belle smiled widely and threw her arms around his neck on a tight hug before pulling away and leaving him with a bashful expression. "Oh, I'm so glad that you are here!"

Rumplestiltskin felt himself smile like a fool, before he could control himself and make a frown appear, instead.

"Hold your horses, dearie. I only promised you a dinner."

"Yes, and I thank you."

With another wave of his hand a table for two appear near Belle's bed and she walked towards it with a smile, starting to serve herself. He took a plate for himself and placed a piece of meat in it as he watched her getting a second spoon of a certain food, in hers.

"Do you like pumpkin cream?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I had never eaten it before I arrived here, but you seem to like it since you always serve that for dinner, so it kind of became my favourite."

She sat in the chair in front of him grabbing a fork as he poured a drink for himself, before leaning the jar to her empty cup.

"White wine?"

"Please," Belle grinned.

They started to eat slowly, enjoying the meal and occasionally glancing at each other above their cups and plates, until Rumplestiltskin decided to break the silence and speak.

"So, why do you want me here?" He asked.

"You know why," she replied. "I was feeling lonely and you are an interesting company."

"I'm your captor and we've only talked a few times."

"And I already like you," Belle assured him, taking her last piece of meat, chewing it and swallowing before she looked into his replied eyes again, noticing how exquisite they were. "Rumplestiltskin, can I ask you a question?"

"Aye."

She traced the border of her cup with her index finger, breathing in and feeling his glance glued on her, she wanted to know so many things about him that it was difficult to pick just one question, but she decided to start with the simplest one.

"For how many time have you been living alone in here?"

He glanced down, and for a moment, she thought that he wasn't going to answer at all, but yet, he did. "Too many years to count."

"And have you... Have you ever had company?"

"Another person living here?" Rumplestiltskin inquired and she nodded. "Oh, no, I haven't."

Then, she was right, human contact wasn't really his thing. But there was something else still bothering her from previous thoughts and she needed to ask it as much as she feared startling him.

"So, you were never married before me?"

The Dark One furrowed, intrigued by her questions.

"Where do you want to get?"

"Just answer me."

"I was never married before, I've never shared a home with anyone, I've never cared about anyone. I am a lonely monster," he finally said with a deep sigh. "That's what you wanted to hear?"

Belle felt somewhat ashamed for asking such a personal thing. Her maids used to say that wives had no opinion in their husband's lives, they shouldn't ask much thing or bother themselves when they didn't make it home, they should only be loyal and give them heirs. Of course, she thought that it all was ridiculous; however, the girl knew that she should contain herself and think twice before spilling up questions like this.

"But have you been a common man one day?" She asked in a sweeter voice reaching a hand to touch his above the table, but he pulled it away almost immediately.

"You're too curious," he pointed out. "It is my turn to make you some questions."

Nodding, she stood up, making her way to the empty space in front of the fireplace and sitting on the floor.

"Come sit with me, then," the girl invited.

Slowly and hesitantly, he did it so, making himself comfortable in a little further away from her.

"What do you miss the most about your home?" Rumplestiltskin started.

"My father," Belle confessed. "He is a good man and I love him very much."

"Would you like to go back?"

"Yes," she whispered, not daring to look at him this time. "I miss having people to talk to."

The girl thought that after she said those words, he wasn't going to talk to her anymore and probably would just disappear back to whatever part of the castle he wished, but this time, the imp surprised her.

"I was never married before," Rumple admitted.

"Oh."

"Nobody would want a monster. Only desperate souls seek me, but none desperate enough to give itself to the old beast."

Giggling a little, she gave him an amused smile. "I think you've found the most desperate of them all."

Rolling his eyes, the Dark One leaned back against the chair that was set behind him, the same one where Belle had been sat when he arrived.

"You were forced to marry me by your father, dearie, you did not choose any of this."

"I know, but I could learn to choose it every day."

Another confused frown took him. "What are you saying?"

Belle came closer, eyelashes touching her skin as they moved slightly. She was so close that he could have memorized every line of her face and he wanted so much to just lift his hand and palm her soft blushing cheek, that he had to still himself in place to prevent it.

"We are both lonely, so why we can't we fill the emptiness in the other's life?" Belle asked, very gently.

"Because you're a young, innocent girl and I'm... Me."

She waved her head negatively. "You think you're worse than you are."

Then her hand cupped his face and some kind of fear that Rumplestiltskin hadn't felt in a long time, made his blood fell cold in his veins. She leaned forward, toying with the hair in the back of his head.

"Belle, what are you doing?"

"Slow," she murmured. "We can start slow."

Her face came closer and closer, until her lips moulded against his, adding some sweet pression that made both their hearts race. Then in a slip second, it was over and she was looking at him with amazement.

"Say something," Rumplestiltskin basically begged after another couple of minutes of pure silence and glance exchanges.

"It was different, but it was good," Belle said, smiling. "I liked it."

Then, she approached again and this time he cradled her into his embrace, looking into his wife's eyes before devouring her mouth now that she had truly allowed him to do so. He licked her lips until she awkwardly parted them, allowing the imp to slip his tongue inside to massage hers. And the sound she made when he did so, gods, this sound sent shiver through all of this body, lighting up a flame that he thought that had been long lost in him.

Rumplestiltskin wanted her more than anything else and every movement their mouths did together or their hands did while travelling through the safest places of the other's body, only served to make him feel like he was burning with desire. But he couldn't keep on with this, because he had locked Belle in that tower for a good reason and he wasn't going to make it all go to waste.

So, he gently pulled away, receiving a confused look from her, before he placed the kindest of the kisses in her temple and made himself vanish from there, appearing in his own bedroom where he sat in a chair for a long time, trying in vain to forget about the warmth of Belle's body against his while they kissed in such a tender way.


	4. Something There

She had kissed him. Belle had in fact kissed Rumplestiltskin twice and she had liked it. Walking around her chambers after he left, vanishing the table and chairs, with the remains of their dinner from there too, Belle couldn't stop asking herself if she had done something wrong for him to pull away so abruptly, and simply disappear without saying a word to her.

Some tears were gathering in her eyes, with the fear of having angered with, but as she touched her swollen pink lips, her pulse quickened by the mix of feelings that had taken her, when they were kissing and she felt so good, that she decided that there was definitely nothing wrong, with what had just happened. Maybe she was getting mad with all the time she had spent in that tower without anyone else, however she felt something that was starting to terrify her. Belle was falling for Rumplestiltskin.

It was undeniable, it was happening and it made her head spin, but she never felt something more beautiful for anyone else. And when she finally made it to the bed, Belle curled herself under the covers, remembering the way he looked at her before she first kissed him, almost as if he was terrified, and the way his big hands palmed her back on the second time, bringing her so close that she was lost in his embrace, her body pressed tightly against his. She blushed just to think about that proximity.

Lots of wonders filled her mind that night, until she was too tired and finally fell asleep.

* * *

In the next day, Belle realised that it wasn't easy at all to keep her mind from dangerous thoughts, the ones that always led her to her exquisite husband. No matter what she did, she always ended up lost between remembrances of the night prior, but the day seemed to linger more than it would've normally, so when she finally watched the sun disappear outside her window, and turned around to reach for the mirror, Belle could barely believe in what she saw.

He was standing there, right behind her. She hadn't even asked for his company, yet and he was there.

"Rumple," the girl muttered.

He lifted a hand stopping any word that might come from her mouth next, a serious expression on his face. That, got her suddenly worried about what had brought him there so unexpectedly.

"What you did yesterday was impulsive and stupid," the Dark One started. "It shall not happen again."

Oh, so it all was about the kiss. But he had kissed back, hadn't he? And he had kissed first, that night he sneaked inside her room, so why was he doing this? Shouldn't that be what he wanted? She didn't know exactly how husbands and wives should approach or if they truly should, because it all was still very new for her, but Belle for some reason wanted this new proximity, this brand new bound between them, one that she never expected them to form.

"Why not? I'm your wife, I should be able to kiss you."

"Do not test me, Belle," Rumplestiltskin said with a certain coldness that made her hopes fade a little. "You don't want to awake the beast."

Taking a careful step in his direction, she placed both hands in each of his arms, feeling him shudder at the contact, but pressing in a little harder to keep the imp in place.

"Perhaps I do," she returned with a smirk.

"Be careful with what you wish, dearie," he answered, shaking his head with the same disbelief that he always looked at her with.

He had spent quite a long time during the last night thinking about her, desiring her and that was extremely dangerous for Belle. Gods, Rumple wished that he didn't care a thing about that girl, so he could do what he wished and satisfy himself without any remorse, but she was the new light of his days and he would do anything to assure that she was fine.

Gently taking her hands away from him, Rumplestiltskin made a discrete flourish, trying to not let her see it.

"May I show you something?" He asked.

Curiosity shined in her eyes.

"Sure."

Tucking her hand in his, the imp led her through the chambers and opened the door of her closet, gesticulating with his head in its direction.

"Get inside," Rumplestiltskin commanded.

Eyes narrowing, Belle rested her hands on her hips with a sceptical look in her beautiful face. "What? Are you going to lock me inside the closet now?"

"No, I won't," he guaranteed, rolling his eyes. "Get inside."

Still looking full of mistrust, the girl hesitantly walked inside the closet, glancing back at him, that was following her a few steps back at each second, but then her eyes fixed in the thing that was replacing one of the walls and she suddenly stopped.

"A door?" Belle asked aloud, however she didn't wait for any answer, just opened it and started to make her way through the stairs that lead to a hidden place underneath.

This was so exciting for her, that she couldn't even contain the big smile that took her lips. Belle heard Rumplestiltskin's steps behind her, but this time, she didn't look at him, instead she kept looking at the stone hallway until it opened into a large room with giant windows and big shelves full of books. A gasp left her. It was amazing.

"Oh, gods!" She exclaimed. "You made a library for me?"

"I didn't make it for you," Rumplestiltskin bounced, "it was always there."

Who that stupid man was trying to fool? That library didn't exist before, otherwise she would know and even if it had, she doubted that he would give the only room in the castle that had an access to it to the woman he intended to make his prisoner. He did this for her, because now he liked her too.

"No, it wasn't," Belle said, folding her arms against her chest. "I walk inside this closet every single day and it never had a secret door inside there."

"Maybe you just never payed attention to it."

"Thank you," she said, ignoring his silliness.

Then, Belle made her way to him and stretched herself to allow their lips to meet, slowly melting against the man for who she was pretty sure that she was in love. But once again, he grabbed her by the arms and interrupted the kiss.

"Don't."

The girl shooked her head and grabbed a random book from one of the shelves flipping up the pages.

"You know, all those things people say about you," she started, looking at him by the corner of her eyes, 'they are wrong and now I know it."

* * *

Another couple of weeks passed, and even though Rumplestiltskin was avoiding to come to Belle's room, afraid of where her advances might get, he still visited her from time to time, and they still shared daily talks through the mirrors. As stupid as it sounds, he started to collect things for her from his trips, a little silver necklace that he placed proudly around her throat while she smiled widely, a notched little box that now was kept above her desk and even some exotic fruits too.

He wasn't trying to spoil her. Actually, he hated himself for keeping constantly thinking about her, just like the voices in his head hated that did, always reminding him of how much he was playing the part of a fool, alerting him that this girl might be his destruction, if he allowed her to. But then, there he was again, magicking himself to her chambers and almost being unable to breath when he found it empty, however the imp remembered about the library and made his way down the stairs to find his wife sat by the big squared table in the centre of it, her face laid against a book as she slept.

A smile stretched in his lips. She was the most precious thing he had ever laid eyes on. He walked towards her, shaking her shoulder slightly.

"Belle?" Rumplestiltskin called. "Belle, wake up."

"Mm?"

Her eyelids trembled a little and she tightened her eyes for a second before looking right at him. Yawning, she stiffed her back, looking around a bit confused.

"You feel asleep down here," the Dark One felt compelled to say. "Come on, let's eat something."

Belle was certainly hungry, since the last time she ate anything was when the lunch was served by noon, after that, she had gone to the library to finish organizing the shelves alphabetically, but then she found this one, started reading and apparently just fell asleep. She hadn't done anything else. The girl smiled for herself, thinking that if Rumplestiltskin's intention when he gave her that place was that she found a new distraction, then he knew what he was doing.

The girl stood up, straightening her gown. "I didn't even bath myself yet. Can you wait just a bit, while I do so?"

He sighed, but nodded.

"Hurry, I'm not a patient person."

Giggling a little, Belle climbed up the stairs and chose another dress before going to the bathroom where the bathtub was already filled with warm water.

Rumplestiltskin however stayed down the library for another moment, taking a look at her most recent book she picked to read. When he finally made it back to her chambers, the imp walked around, nervously opening some drawers and chest lids to see what she kept there, but the only thing he found was clothes and more books. Poor lonely princess, had literally nothing to do there, but reading all day.

"You could take me for a walk around the castle one of these days," he heard her saying from inside the closed door of the bathroom. "I don't think there is a great need to keep me locked, as you come here almost every day now."

The Dark One stopped at the request. He agreed with her, now that they were seeing each other so often there was no reason for her to be kept inside that tower, unless for the little dark secret that he kept in the east tower, the opposite one from this. Rumplestiltskin didn't trust Belle enough to be sure that she would follow his orders and keep herself very far away from there. He needed to test her first, see if she obeyed his commands before setting her free around the castle.

"That's not going to happen," the imp answer, loud enough to be heard in the other room.

"I'm not going to run away at the first change I get," Belle insisted. "I promise."

"The answer is still the same."

"Alright, at least I tried."

Impatient, Rumplestiltskin took some steps, stopping in front of the closed door as he tipped his own fingers together in an anxious habit of his.

"I have better thing to do than waiting for you to bath, dearie."

"Just a minute!" The girl replied, then added in a lower tone: "Or five, maybe."

"Belle!"

Inside the bathroom, she sighed struggling to make a firm knot with the laces in her waist.

"Have you ever seen how many layers these gowns have?" Belle shout out at Rumplestiltskin. "If you're not helping, then don't complain."

"Are you decent?"

"What? No! I'm only on my shift and underskirt!"

"I'm coming," he warned just a second before the door made a noise and was opened, bringing a bright shade of red to Belle's cheeks.

When Rumplestiltskin looked at her, he could only think that she looked incredibly funny without the rest of her clothes, but that was because he was trying not to think about how the tight corset accentuated the curves of her petite body. Swallowing he reached for the cabinet where her clothes were placed. He knew exactly what to pick, but decided to make it less awkward by letting her think that he had no idea of where to begin.

"So, what do I put on first?"

"The skirt," Belle indicated.

Picking the dark red fabric, he brought it to her and helped the girl put it on, closing the laces around her waist with notable ability.

"Ready."

"Now the bodice," she instructed.

Belle watched him grab it and slid her arms through the holes, adjusting it to her form before started to close the stripes. She never thought that something so simple like this could make her heart race so much, but at each pull of the brown stripes, she felt the proximity with her husband make something light up inside her.

"You're breathing hard," Rumplestiltskin pointed out, finishing his work.

"I know," she muttered covering both his hands with her on and splaying them on her waist. Belle closed her eyes at the feeling of his touch pressing a little deeper. "I want you."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Oh, she was pretty sure that she knew. Of course, that she, just like him was surprised by the fact that she wanted this, because never expected so say those words to the beast she had been forced to marry, but all the gods knew that she tried very hard to hate him, it just didn't happen. Every single day she spent there, Belle fell for him a little harder.

In the beginning, she thought that she was just so desperate for any kind of company that she was starting to think that the Dark One was actually a good person, but now she knew that it wasn't just fondness what has grown between them. There was something there that was stronger than this and that neither of them could have imagined that would exist. They cared for each other and they felt a burning need deep inside their beings that could only be sated by the other.

"Yes, I know," she said, convicted. "I'm not so innocent as you think I am, believe me when I say that a well-read woman is as dangerous as a well-lived one."

"Belle..."

"Come here," the girl commanded, gripping at his hand and dragging him out of the bathroom, "sit on the bed."

Without much option, Rumplestiltskin obeyed, settling himself against her pillows and watching as she climbed up the bed, hiking up her skirts a little so she could place a leg in each side of his hips. He breathed in, uncomfortable with that situation and feeling this was going to end very, very badly. She was too close, her glorious weight pressing against him in a way that made the beast inside him come up with dark ideas of what he should be doing with her right now, instead of trying to control himself.

"What are you doing?"

"I said we would go slowly with this," Belle explained, toying with the leather of his waistcoat. "Kiss me."

Blind with desire, he obeyed, lips closing against hers and hands pulling her even closer. Her finger sank in his hair as his mouth moved, trailing down wet kisses to her throat until he found her pulsing point, sucking at it and causing her to tremble at this new amazing sensation that took her body. Belle could feel a certain thing that she could only describe as despair causing each part of her flesh to become sensible at his touch, a distinct ache settling between her thighs.

"Oh," she moaned softly, when his teeth nibbled at her earlobe.

That was the moment Rumplestiltskin realised that they had gone way too far. He couldn't keep on with this and if they didn't stop just now, he knew that he was going to do something that he would certainly regret later. The Dark One was hungry for his wife, but she deserved someone better and he was pretty sure that as soon as she realised that, she wouldn't even want to look at his face anymore. Belle was just desperate, and this little desperate soul, he wasn't going to wreck.

"We need to stop," the imp said, taking her off his lap and standing up, not wanting to look down and see the effects he that she had caused him. He kept his back turned to her, feeling still a little breathless and completely unable to spend another minute in there. "You will eat alone tonight, I have a deal to make."

"But, Rumple - " she started to say, but he lifted a hand, stopping her words.

"Please, it is for your own safety."

He vanished from her chambers and Belle let herself fell against the mattress, almost sobbing in frustration. Her body was in flames, her mind full of him. She couldn't just move herself to stand up again and eat her supper, as much as the smell of it was incredibly delicious, because right she wanted something she couldn't have and Belle had no idea of how much time she could handle that situation.

Would he always pull her away? Did he spoke truthfully that first night when he brought her there and he really thought that she wasn't good enough for him? No, she didn't think so. Tonight, she felt his desire for her, but she saw in his eyes, when he pulled away that he was afraid of something. But what?

Trying to stead her breath again, Belle started to wonder if the reason why Rumplestiltskin didn't want to consummate their marriage was the same why he didn't want her to leave this tower.


	5. A Matter Of Love

The complete loneliness of her first month in the castle, came back to haunt Belle. After that night in which Rumplestiltskin left her alone to eat alone, he didn't appear in her chambers again, but she thought that at least, he would talk to her through the mirror, however everything she saw for several weeks was darkness in the object's surface.

She spent more time in the library since then, than she ever did before, as it was the only thing left for her to do. Time didn't help making her forget about him and want him any less, actually it only increased her need to be at his side. The only problem was that he was completely out of reach and she didn't know how to get to him. Belle was alone and her books were her only company, but they weren't enough to warm her heart anymore.

The girl never thought she would be so concerned about Rumplestiltskin as she was feeling now, but he was the only friend she had and she wished that they could just talk truthfully with the other. Belle rather have him being honest about whatever haunted him so much than to see him run away every single time they approached.

A full moon passed before anything changed. It was already very late and the only candles lighted in Belle's chambers were the ones in her nightstands, providing a low light, just enough for her to read comfortably. Her Handsome Hero, her favourite book, one of those she brought from home, was laying on her lap as she read the already well-known words with no hurry, enjoying every single part of the story of if it was the very first time. She tossed herself a little helping the pillows to adjust at her back and sighed as she flipped a page.

Then, suddenly Belle stopped in the middle a new sentence, the feeling that she was no longer alone in the room making her heart skip a beat. She looked up, eyes wandering around the room, until they stopped in the silhouette that was stands near her closet's door, almost disappearing in the shadows. He was still, face totally expressionless and she immediately casted the book aside, leaning in with interest.

"Hey," Belle started in a soft tone. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Rumplestiltskin snorted, coming closer and being illuminated by the moonlight coming from the opened windows. He was wearing a dark brown waistcoat above a red shirt, his hands brushed at each other in a nervous act as he kept walking, clearly unsure.

"I just... I needed some time to think," the imp answered, hesitantly.

Tapping a hand on the empty space at her side on the bed, Belle made an invitation: "Come here, sit with me."

He looked down at the mattress, then very slowly, he slid to her side, stretching his legs above the bedcovers as she came closer, touching his face with such a kindness that his breath got caught in his throat. Belle longed so much to see him again and felt relieved to know that he was fine.

"What bothers you?" She asked, toying with his hair.

The Dark One sighed, never allowing his glance to meet hers. "This isn't right, Belle."

"Can we please skip the 'is or isn't right' part and go straight to the point?" The girl inquired, a little angry. She was done with all of his insecurities, if he wasn't able to speak and would just keep pulling a bigger distance between them, then she didn't want to go own with this. "Talk to me, let me know why you run away from me every single time. Am I so despicable? Do you think I'm ugly?"

That startled him. Rumplestiltskin swallowed, fixing his gaze on her and thinking of himself as the greatest fool in the word. How could he let her think those things about herself? He turned around, sliding his hands down her bare arms, a horrible wave of guilty taking him when he realised that her eyes were sad, her expression was full of frustration and some tears shined behind her eyelids.

"No! You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met in my life and as much as I want to deny it, Belle, I want you."

"Then what are you so afraid of?"

Taking a deep breath, decided that it was time to stop running away, because he didn't have to be the monster he was with the others with her, she deserved way better than need and he owed Belle the truth.

"Some years ago, there was a woman in my life," he started. "I made a deal with her initially, but then, we became lovers."

"Oh, I see," she muttered, looking away from him. "So, you are still in love with her?"

"No, I feel nothing for her. I doubt that I ever did," Rumplestiltskin shooked his head, more for himself and his foolishness, than to her. "She was a prodigy in magic, my student, but she wanted to become more powerful than me. I wasn't aware of that and I changed the terms of the deal we made so we both could get what we wanted. This woman was promised to a prince that she didn't love and owed me her firstborn child, so I told her that if she wanted to escape she could come with me and what she would owe me would be my child."

Belle worried at her lip, fingers tracing circles in his arm through the fabric of his shirt. She was right about him, he was layered and there was more to his story than he would allow himself to tell her that night, so she could only hope that piece by piece he would open up for her.

"Rumple..."

"She married the prince," he continued, "and she never payed the price of our deal, because she never conceived a child with me."

"She broke your heart," Belle concluded.

"Nobody can break my heart."

So, that was the reason he always pulled away. The Dark One was afraid that she would do the same to him as that woman in his past did, but Belle had no interest in magic, she was fated to live in that tower forever, but she wished to take the everything she could get from it. She wanted the husband that was promised to her and that now she knew was the beast people warned her about.

"You wouldn't be telling me this story if it was true," Belle said. "I'm so sorry that she did this to you, but this woman is evil and wicked, she didn't deserve you."

"Her name was Cora," he told her, before chuckling slightly. "I've always thought it was an ugly name."

She moved in the bed until she was facing him and could lift his chin between her fingers.

"Look at me," the girl demanded. "I'm not Cora, I'm not going to fool you. I'll never betray you."

"You can't say that."

"Yes, I can," she assured. The next words that came from her mouth, were a little difficult to say, because it made everything real, but she grabbed his hands and looked deep into his unique reptilian eyes. "I love you, Rumplestiltskin and I want to give you everything no other women could."

He cupped her face, brushing at her pinkish lips with his thumb and although the voices in his head screamed that she was a liar, he knew by the moment that declaration left her mouth he would surrender to her.

"Sweetheart…"

Belle breathed in the word. He had never sounded so soft and lovely before, which made her sure that this couldn't be more perfect.

"Touch me," she begged.

His hand moved down her neck, stroking gently before he pulled her closer to a kiss. Belle kneeled on the bed, folding her arms around his neck and parting her lips to allow his tongue inside, he sank back against the pillows and she grounded his fingers to her hips, groaning when he gripped at her.

The same fear that had filled her on their wedding night got a lump on her throat again, because as much as Belle had read a lot, it was still very new for her ad even though she knew what should happen next, it didn't make her feel any less inexperienced. But they had to start somewhere, so she departed from him and looked at his darkened eyes with a question glowing in hers.

"Do you want to see me?"

"What?"

"I - " she swallowed. "My maids told me to not expected being loved or anything else. They said that some men wanted things to be so quick that they didn't even asked their wives to take off their nightgowns. But they said some liked to so…"

Belle was pretty sure that she was babbling nonsense by now, but Rumplestiltskin seemed so bewitched, that he didn't even told her to stop talking, all he did was to nod, affirmatively and a little nervous, the girl grabbed the hem of her nightgown and lifted it slowly through her head, casting it aside and throwing the piece of clothing somewhere in the floor.

Gasping, the Dark One stilled in place for a second. He knew that Belle was beautiful wearing her coloured dresses during the days, but without any clothes on, she was simply breath-taking and the vision of her got him immediately hardening. She was nervous, he could see by the way she bit down at her lower lip and her hands toyed together at her lap and he wanted to make her fears vanish away.

Rumplestitskin reached a hand to her body, running it down the safest places first: her face, her hair and her arms, until he finally made it to her left breast, cupping it gently, which caused her eyes to closed a little noise to leave her mouth. This was all very experimental for Belle, but she could already feel the things his touch did to her as a wetness started to damp her tights.

Leaning forward the imp rolled the girl on her back to start a very slowly and tempting exploration. He placed a kiss to her shoulder, the leather of his clothes brushing against her naked body and making a shiver to pass through it as he went to her neck, his mouth seeking for that pulsing place that he knew would make her moan and ask for more. The imp soon found it and her back arched against him, her arms closing around his torso, then glanced up at her, silently asking for the permission to continue to kiss down. Belle nodded overwhelmed by each new contact he did to her, and sucked a breath when she felt his lips close around one of her nipples. It felt good and sent a warm sensation to her womb, a need that sent her whole body in flames.

When his hands made their way down, sliding through her belly and going down her legs, Belle felt like that ache she felt between her tights was going to get her mad. She needed something to smooth that ache, to stop it from growing painful and making it go away. She needed him.

"Take off your clothes too," she commanded her husband, wishing to feel every part of him touching every part of her.

That made Rumplestiltskin stop his ministrations, it wasn't on his plans to let Belle look at the beast while he defiled her. He had the intention of making it feel as good for her as he could manage to, but for Belle to be truly prepared for the act, she needed to want it and if she saw more of him that she already knew, then the only thing she would be able to feel would be repulse.

"You - " he started in that same self-loathing voice he used while telling her Cora's story. "You don't want to see me. It will be better for you if you close your eyes and imagine that somebody else is touching you."

If she could just take it and stop talking, then he would worship her and it would all be quick. Just lowering his trousers, a little would make the work and not scare her. But gods, there was that faithfull look coming to her face again, as she touched his cheek, and he thinks that he could say and do anything she wished him to, if she just wore that look forever.

"You're so stupid. I want you, Rumplestiltskin not somebody else. You," Belle guaranteed. "Take off these clothes."

He closed his eyes momentarily, letting his forehead rest against hers. She was bare beneath him, allowing a beast to do whatever he wished to her, so he owed this to that woman, not matter what were the consequences that might come later. Rumplestiltskin waved a hand and two, of the four candles she had on her nightstands, lighted off at the same time his clothes and boots vanished from him, letting his hard member free from the confinements of the leather trousers that had been frustrating him for so long. The voices of the previous Dark Ones screamed at him, saying how much he was an idiot for not having end this just yet, taking his pleasure and leaving the girl behind to die languished in that tower.

"Hey! This is not fair," Belle exclaimed when she realised that he had attended to her request, but also had lowered the lights.

"I'm doing you a favour," he assured her, before adding in a tender voice: "Open your legs for me, my darling."

Hesitantly, Belle parted her tights and Rumplestiltskin came to settle himself between then, placing a hand on each side of her head to stablish his weight and letting his throbbing erection brush against her smooth skin. In his arms, Belle's body became shaken as she exhaled ragged breaths.

"Are you afraid?"

"No," she answered.

"You're trembling."

"I'm trembling with desire," Belle said hands stroking up and down his textured chest, "not fear."

Mad, mad girl, he thought, but he was so glad that he wanted him the same way he wanted her, because it made him feel less guilty for doing this to her. Breathing in, Rumplestiltskin lead a hand down between them.

"Don't be scared," he asked, "I'll only check if you're ready for me."

Belle nodded, wordless and her let his fingers find her folds, looking for her entrance. He heard when she moaned as his index made contact with the hidden wetness and he started to spreading the fluids up to coat the little pearl above that made her writhe almost desperately. Rumplestiltskin kissed her brow, his heart beating faster at the thought of what was about to happen; he was so needy of her now that he knew that he would have to control himself, otherwise he wouldn't last.

"It will hurt," he murmured against Belle's ear.

"I know," the brave princess answered. "Just do it."

Capturing her lips on his, the Dark One grasped himself, placing the tip of his length against her entrance and starting to push slowly, letting Belle get used to his size as her inner walls stretched to receive him. Half-way in, he mentally asked her for forgiveness and gave a harder thrust, feeling when he broken her maidenhead and Belle cried in pain against his mouth. He smoothed her hair, not daring to move, as much as her warmth wrapping him so tightly felt welcoming for him to do so.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Belle breathed, stroking the hair in the back of his head and moving her hips up, causing him to groan.

Rumplestiltskin couldn't hold himself any longer, he started to thrust against her, panting and touching every bit of her that he could reach. Belle's eyes closed and she held him closer, finally feeling herself get more desperate at each second, the fricction between their bodies providing her this addicting sensation that elicited moans to leave her mouth repeatedly.

She felt Rumplestiltskin get tense and knew that he would finish soon when his hand left the spot under her breast that he had been caressing to touch the place right above where they were joined, the same one he had brushed at earlier and she cried out, her pleasure increasing until it made starts burst behind her eyelids, liquid dripping to the bedcovers as Rumplestiltskin became erratic before grunting aloud and she felt a new warmness inside her as he filled her womb with his seed.

The imp rolled to his side and for a long moment the two of them remained there, breathing hard and trying to recovery themselves, until he finally moved to kiss her lips softly before slipping of the bed. He glanced quickly at her in the low lights of the candles, distinguishing the red stop in the covers that confirmed that he had just ravished a virgin. Then his clothes dressed him again with a simple wave of his hand, appearing alongside with a little bottle that he offered her.

"Drink this," Rumplestiltskin commanded.

"What is it?"

"Just a potion that I need you to drink, now questioning time is over. Do as I said."

With those cold words, he vanished from her room, leaving Belle to grab the bedcovers to cover herself as she glanced down at the potion in her hands, unsure if even after what they had just done, she trusted Rumplestiltskin enough to follow his order and drink this or not. She loved him with all of her heart, but he had taken her and then been rude and beastly like he was in their wedding night.

Tears filled her eyes as she started to ponder if it all was a mistake. Her body felt sore, her heart wrecked and her hands shaken around the bottle Rumple gave her. Would it be safe to take it or was it something vile from a monster? Had she really found the man behind the beast or was it the other way around?

Belle had no answers for this, but as she placed the potion on her nightstand, she decided that it would be better to face her problems only in the morning.


	6. Trust Above All

When Belle woke up that morning, she was feeling the effects of the night before. She grunted, tired and sore, but sat on the bed seeing that the breakfast was served and the door of the bathroom opened, a clear invite for a bath, which she had to admit that she needed.

Stretching herself, Belle slid from the bed, her eyes landing on the potion that was still in the same place she left it on the nightstand, completely untouched. She swallowed, asking herself which might be the contents of it. A potion for the pain in her body maybe, but maybe some kind of poison. It was ridiculous that even after last night, she couldn't fully trust in her husband, but Belle didn't, because he might have opened up for her a little, but he still wasn't totally honest with her; she knew that he still had some secrets of his own, otherwise he would already have freed her from this tower.

Decided to choose her own fate, Belle grabbed the little bottle and picked a gown, going straight to her filled bathtub and cleaning herself. When she was done, Belle got out and picked the bottle again, pouring the potion inside the bathtub just a few seconds before the water disappeared with magic, taking it too. She had no idea of what kind of drink she had just thrown to waste, but she'd rather be safe than sorry.

The girl dressed herself and sat to eat her breakfast, staring at the mountains outside her window. There was a small road between the woods and sometimes she would look at the carriages passing through, wondering where they were going to. That's what she did that morning, keeping watching it distracted, while her mind revived every detail of the night before, the remembrance of her husband's tender touches making her shiver.

She took a sip of her tea and finished her piece of cake, sighing and trying to convince herself to go down the library, when a pair of hands came to rest on her shoulders and she jumped in place, before turning around to see the Dark One.

"Rumple!" She screamed. "You almost scared me to death!"

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to see if you were alright."

A smile stretched in her lips as Belle rose from the chair, unsure of what she was allowed to do with him now and what she still wasn't. It didn't help that he kept standing still in there.

"I am," Belle said. "But, this is new, you never come here in the morning."

He lifted a hand, brushing his knuckles on her cheek as she closed her eyes, imagining that there was nothing wrong with their relationship, that they were just two ordinary people that loved each other truly and immensely. Belle wished that she could lean closer to him, reach for his lips and tell the imp about how amazing it felt to be in his arms, however when he started to speak again, she remembered of how complicated things were.

"Did you drink the potion I gave you?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

Her eyes flew open and Belle's heart attempted to stop. She had never been a liar, but in that moment, she had no other option but to hid her earlier actions from him, because Belle was really afraid of how much the truth would anger her husband. And it all as partially his fault; she would have taken the potion if he just cared to tell her what was it about.

"Every drop of it," the girl assured with a grin.

"Good," he nodded. "Listen, I brought something important for you."

Waving his hand, the Dark One made a silver piece appear in his hand, hanging from a leather cord.

"Mm, another necklace. It's pretty."

"I will take you out to see the rest of the castle today - " Rumple started placing the necklace around her throat and lifting her hair to accommodate it.

Belle, however wasn't paying much attention to his actions, as his words astonished her. Had she heard it right? He was truly freeing her?

"Will you?"

"But you may keep this necklace on all the time," he continued as if she hadn't said a thing. "You shall never take it off when you're outside these chambers."

"Why?"

"Because I'm telling you so," Rumplestiltskin answered coldly. Then, he seemed to realise how mean he had sounded and took a longer breath, trying to calm himself. "Belle, if things are to work between you and I, you must stop asking so many questions. Everything I'm doing is for your protection, just believe it."

Absentmindedly, she touched the new silver pendant, knowing that the day had barely begun and she had already proved how much she didn't trust him twice. But Belle couldn't help herself, it was all so frustrating and the fact that Rumple kept being so mysterious and secretive only angered her.

"Alright," she agreed, still unsatisfied.

"Follow me," he smirked, enlacing his fingers on hers and making his magic unlock the door for them.

The feeling of mistrust vanished from her as soon as Belle stepped out of her chambers, taking the stairs down. There were some closed doors in the floor beneath and even more in the next one, and she tried not to ask Rumple about what was kept inside those rooms, instead she just kept going down until they reached what she thought to be the castle's great hall. Another opening was set in the opposite side of it and two big pairs of double doors were placed at their front and at their behind.

A little squeal left her lips when the doors next to them opened with magic, showing one of the most beautiful places in the castle. The walls were red, there were huge curtains hanging in front of the large windows, a big wooden table was placed in the centre and a lot of different objects were carefully set in showcases.

"I can't believe I'm doing this. I never thought I would truly leave that tower," the girl said, cheerfully.

Behind her, Rumplestiltskin chuckled, smoothing her back gently as he explained: "This is the dining hall, some of the relics I've collected during my travels, are around here."

"Oh, this is all so exciting!"

She started to walk around the hall, passing her fingers through some of the objects she could reach, like a pair of wands and two of the ugliest puppets she had ever seen. Belle kept exploring, marvelled with each new discovery while the Dark One watched her in an astonished silence, until she stopped beside one of the most interesting things she had found there.

"The spinning wheel..." Belle muttered, lifting her glance to her husband. "Is it really enchanted?"

"No," he shooked his head. "Who said it was?"

"The maids in my father's castle. They whispered about how you put a spell on it, so you could spin straw into gold."

"They clearly don't know a thing," he laughed slightly, walking towards her. "The wheel is a common one and I could spin gold in any other. Magic just happens because I use it."

"Can you show me?"

Nodding a little hesitantly, Rumplestiltskin bent to pick a piece of straw from the huge basket that was placed by the wheel's side. He sat in the little stool in front of it and started spinning, a new thread made of gold falling to the floor.

"That's incredible," Belle said under her breath, causing him to smile and keep spinning to impress her, that watched with the same wide eyes, until the need of talking came to her again, because there were still a lot of things bothering her, that needed solid answers. "Can I ask you something?"

The imp immediately stopped what he was doing, to look at her with a little bit of annoyance. Belle thought that he would tell her to shut up again, but even against all odds, that was not what he did.

"Fine."

Belle slid to the stool by his side, groping at the blue fabric of her gown nervously.

"It's about last night. Did you - " she started a little unsure, a little afraid, but she banished her fears and asked anyway. "Did you like it?"

Blush came to her cheeks and she fixed her gaze on the wheel, but Rumplestiltskin grabbed her chin, between two fingers and very gently turned her face back to him.

"Of course, I did. It was wonderful for me, Belle," he guaranteed, before adding: "Was it good for you?"

"Yeah, I never thought it could feel like that."

Smirking, he brought his lips to hers, brushing them very softly and letting his hands bring her closer as he kissed her with the same passion they did last night. But all too soon, he pulled away and stood up offering Belle a hand to help her rise up.

"Would you like to see the treasure room?"

"Show me," she smiled.

He took her through another door, that had access to the dining hall and this one lead to a large corridor, that opened in one of the sides to stairs that apparently lead to a new tower. The other side was empty, making the castle seem disproportionate. She followed Rumplestiltskin down anyway, being lead to the biggest of the rooms in there, in which a great number of things seemed to have been accumulated among the years.

Most of the objects Belle laid eyes on, were stranger for her and she bet that some of them were probably magical, but it only made her want to hear about each one. She thought that she could just sat in there, pointing things at Rumplestiltskin and listening as he told her the story behind those things.

"This is all yours," the Dark One declared as she looked around with excitement.

"Mine? What do you mean?"

The girl turned around, letting him grab her by the waist in a spontaneous way that was so unlike him that made her thought that maybe they were in fact doing some real progress in there.

"We are married, Belle, everything that is mine, it's yours. And now, we finally belong to each other too," Rumplestiltskin pointed out. "Last night we became husband and wife in all the senses that matters. Now, I want you to know that my house is yours too."

The biggest of the smiles stretched in her lips as Belle folded her arms behind his neck, letting him pull her up just enough so his mouth could find hers without any problems. Both of them were small people, but she was way smaller than and wearing flat shoes as she was now, instead of the high heels she usually wore, made her look even tinier.

Pursuing his lips, Belle melted against him, the feel of his hands running through her body lightening all her senses. They moved to a small cot in the corner of the room and she sat as he kneeled in front of her as they started to explore each other. She tried to kiss his neck to see if it had the same maddening effect it did when it was him who kissed and bit at hers, but it was even better than she expected, because he groaned and threw his head back, exposing his throat for her to kiss. His hands came up to her bodice, starting to unlace it as he pushed her back to the cot, hiking up her skirts and stroking her legs, before he lowered his trousers, setting himself free. Belle's lack of experience still bothered her a little and her insides still seemed to hurt a bit, but it was all very new and she needed to get used to it.

Rumplestiltskin had no hurry in taking her, he wanted to be sure that she would enjoy it. He adored every piece of his little wife, even though he didn't remove her clothes completely, afraid that she would ask him to bare himself for her too, in all the glory of the morning light, what he clearly was not comfortable to do; Rumple was still afraid that she would reject him if she got a better look at his full body. Their love-making was slower and greater than the night before, he slipped inside her and this time, there was no trace of pain in her beautiful face, only a soft expression of delight.

Belle kept her eyes open, attentively watching Rumple as he moved above, building that burning pleasure between her tights that made her nails dig into his scalp and her body tremble as they seek release. She moaned his name louder than she would ever want to admit that she did, but when Belle finally broke down with a cry of joy, she couldn't move herself to care about anything else, than both of them joined this way.

The girl petted Rumplestiltskin's hair, loving the sounds he made as he also finished himself, spurting warmness inside her, before he collapsed on top of Belle's petite form, panting on her neck.

Ages could have passed before they changed positions and she laid languidly with her head against his chest, fingers tracing the laces on the front of his waistcoat as her eyes wandered around the treasures, noticing the thin layer of dust in them.

"This place is in need of a cleaning," she murmured. "I could do it."

"Why?" Rumplestiltskin grumbled in a sleepy voice.

"Because that's what wives do."

"Peasants, you mean," he corrected her. "You're the Dark One's wife, you don't need to clean, magic can solve it."

Sitting up, Belle took her bodice from the floor and started to lace it up again. She casted her husband a stubborn glance as he watched her quietly.

"Rumple, I want to. It will be a good distraction for me."

He rolled his eyes, waving a hand a making a broom and a duster appear at her feet. "If you insist."

"Thank you!"

He stood up, straightening his clothes and helping her put herself back on her feet and it was only in that moment that Belle realised how much her legs were shaken.

"I don't know how you can think that this is a good distraction, but well, after all, you're mad."

"I'm not mad!"

"You laid with a monster and you said that you liked."

"I did," she agreed, blushing, knowing that she would never be able to look down at the cot behind her and not remember of what they had done in there. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to start cleaning."

Picking the broom and the duster, she tried to decided where she should start.

"Alright, I'll spin a little," Rumplestiltskin nodded and was already making his way to the door when he suddenly stopped and came back. "Belle?"

"Yeah?"

He gripped at her wrist and placed a small bottle in it, with the same yellow liquid from the night before. She swallowed, closing her fingers around it.

"For you," he said. "And, remember, don't take off the necklace."

As she watched him leave, Belle needed to sit down again, allowing some tears to fall silently from her eyes, because all her husband was asking for her was a little bit of trust and that, it seemed, she couldn't give him. The girl slid down the potion to a hidden pocket in her dress, knowing that later that day, when the bathtub filled itself with magic, she would drop its contents to the water and try to forget about that.

But, most important than any potion, was the fear that Rumplestiltskin seemed to feel of her taking off the new necklace he gave her and all her mind could do was to scream at her that there was definitely something wrong going on. He was probably trying to fool her or he would never demand things from Belle without even given her a small explanation. She didn't know what he was hiding yet, but she would find out, that she promised herself.

So, when Belle's fingers closed around the silver pendant, she had to be convince to not take it off immediately. But if not now, then in some better occasion she would, so she could see what happened and decide if Rumplestiltskin was really worth her trust, however for now, she would give herself the benefit of the doubt.

Rising on her feet, Belle started to clean the treasure room, but not even for a moment she truly concentrated in her new task.


	7. A Wife's Duty

It proved to be more difficult to be alone around the castle than Belle thought it would be. Along the next few weeks, Rumplestiltskin followed her around wherever she went and, although she liked to have his company and enjoyed the fact that he was willing to tell her stories about most of the objects he had, Belle still hadn't found the proper opportunity to take off the necklace and see what happened.

And things were getting stranger every day, even if she tried to pretend that they were not. Three days had passed and she was laid tired and sleepy in her bed, when she felt Rumple slipping away. She reached for him, grabbing his arm and making him look back at her.

"Stay with me," Belle pleaded.

"No," he answered freeing himself and standing up. "We shall not sleep in the same room."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm saying so."

That night, after he left, she wept against her pillow, thinking that she was a fool and he was just using her, because if he truly wanted to be her husband, he would be truthful with her, he would lay by her side and cuddle with her in bed until she fell asleep to wake up in his arms the next day, but instead, she was always alone above crumpled sheets. Belle started to think that all those romances she read, were just silly lies to delude naïve girls like her, making them think that things like True Love were real, when it clearly wasn't. Marriage was all about the man's needs, she concluded.

As desolated as Belle felt, she discovered that cleaning wasn't enough to distract herself anymore, and although she made a great work in the treasure room, she thought it was time to move somewhere else.

Rumplestiltskin was sat by the wheel, spinning slowly and she passed through him carrying three large books, without barely casting the imp a glance, going straight to the kitchen. She opened one of the books, flipping the pages in search of something that seemed to be rather easy and stopped at a recipe for cookies. Smiling, she picked flour and eggs from their storage and opened the enchanted cabinet that provided the rest of the ingredients she needed, at a simple word of request. That was one of the things she most liked about living in there: how the magic always seemed to get everything she needed.

The girl spent a lot of time at the kitchen, making the cookies and putting them to bake, then she went to the treasure room while she waited for them to get ready. Belle set somethings in place, finishing the task of organizing a whole glassware when she smelled something burning and her heart skipped a beat. The cookies, she had forgot about them.

Rushing back to the kitchen, she saw the smoke rising from the oven and covered her hands with two cloths before picking the hot baking tray, in which there were some black rounded things, that didn't even resemble cookies anymore. She emitted a low sound of disappointment, lower lip trembling with her sudden need to cry, which was only increased by the sound of the door behind her opening.

"Belle, what the hell are you doing?" Rumplestiltskin asked, coughing a little. "There is smoke all around!"

"I'm so sorry," she whined. "I was trying to bake some cookies."

His gaze fell down to the baking tray she had placed on the counter and the imp sighed angrily.

"These doesn't look like cookies," he pointed out.

"Obviously not!" Belle stormed. "They burned."

Her shoulders started to shake as she tried to prevent sobs from escaping her mouth, but the tears came anyway, rolling silently down her face while Rumple watched her in confusion. Using magic, he lighted off the fire and made a chair appear, leading Belle to it.

"Sweetheart, sit down a little," he instructed, helping her to do so and then kneeling in front of her, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks, brushing her tears away. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing," she sniffled. "I just wanted cookies."

"This can't be about the cookies, you are mad with something for days now. I can feel that you're distant."

Oh, so he could feel that she was distant but instead of doing something about it, he kept walking away from her every time she needed him. What kind of relationship was that? Didn't he see that he was the one hurting her? She just wanted him to open up and didn't think that this was too much to ask.

"It is nothing, Rumplestiltskin," she said, looking away from him. "Please, just leave me alone."

And instead of fighting with her and insisting that she talked, he stood up and went back to whatever he had been doing before. She cried even harder after he left, because Belle didn't know for how much time she could take this lack of trust between them and she just hoped that maybe when she took off the freaking necklace he gave her, she could find some real answers, because she truly didn't know what to do anymore. With Rumple, she never knew what to expect. When she thought she was finally reaching for him, deep down the many walls he constructed around his heart, he closed up again, and they just kept this way, having superficial conversations, kissing and making love, but still remaining strangers for one another.

Her heart was in pieces, the agony set down like a cold hand pressed to her chest, filling her with doubts and fears.

The girl sat down in there, trying to calm herself for a while more, until she gave up feeling miserable and decided that trying to be nice was and apologizing for her behaviour, was a good place to start gaining the Dark One's trust, even if it she would have to face a long and torturous road until she finally earned it, but then her mother had taught her the value of never giving up of things that are worth fighting for. Belle boiled some water, set everything ready on a tray and walked to the dining hall.

"Tea?"

"Aye," Rumple blinked, turning around in his place by the spinning to look at his wife with some astonishment. "Thank you."

He took his place at the head of the table, smiling softly at her and it was in moments like this, that he seemed so distant from the cruel Dark One he played out for everybody, that she felt the man behind the beast reaching for her, causing her to be sure of how much she already loved him, with all of his failures.

"I'm sorry for earlier, I was just frustrated," Belle said as she filled a teacup, before lifting it in his direction with trembling hands, which made it slip through her insecure fingers and fall right to the floor, splashing tea in her dress. "Oh, no. No, no, no!"

She kneeled on the floor to pick it up again, noticing the damage and holding onto a breath for a moment. Belle couldn't believe what she had just done; she was supposed to fix things now, not shatter them even more. Just the thought of angering Rumple made a lump appear on her throat.

"It's chipped," she murmured hesitantly, looking up at her husband and biting down her lip. "I'm truly sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry about, this is just a cup," the imp assured offering her help to her rise again. He took the cup from her hands and filled it with tea once more. "Here, I'll drink from it."

"From the damaged cup?"

A lazy smile spread on his face. Rumplestiltskin slowly traced the border of the teacup, watching with the corner of his eyes as Belle slid to a chair next to him. She was the most precious thing he could ever have dreamed to acquire and he wouldn't trade her for any great treasure.

"You're not the only one who is a bit mad," he chuckled.

"I'd like to prepare the dinner for you," she popped up, ignoring his comment.

His eyes widened and he almost spilled all of his tea at the thought of Belle just attempting to enter kitchen again, the girl didn't even know how to make cookies, so she couldn't just think she would make dinner successfully. Of course, he never expected her to be a great cooker, because she was a princess and obviously wasn't raised to do a maid's work.

"You almost burned the castle to the ground with mere cookies."

"Don't be dramatic, Rumplestiltskin," she rolled her eyes, "they just didn't end up any good."

She had that look on her face, too stubborn to be dissuaded.

"Well do what you must, dearie, but please don't start a fire."

"Very funny," Belle grumbled, making her way back to the kitchen.

The imp stayed there, sipping tea and then spinning, ears and nose attentive to any sign of a smell that could smoke or a noise of something breaking, but nothing came and when Belle finally appeared again she wore the most hopeful smile. The girl placed a giant pan in the middle of the table and then brought the bowls and spoons and served them, giving Rumple an expectant look as he tried her soup.

"What do you think?"

He swallowed, trying not to let a grimace appear in his face. The imp had eaten a lot of horrible things during his life, however could ever compare to Belle's attempt to make a soup. It was awful. He had no idea of how she could make a couple of vegetables and meat lose all of their good flavours this way.

"It tastes... Odd?"

"Seriously?" Belle asked, sceptically.

"Have you tried?"

"No, but - "

"Do it."

Rolling her eyes, the girl lifted a spoon to her mouth tasting the soup and hoping that Rumplestiltskin was just making fun of her, but unfortunately, he wasn't. Dropping the spoon back to the bowl Belle furrowed, fighting to swallow everything.

"Oh, gods," she mumbled, "it is awful!"

Rumple laughed slightly, thinking that she looked adorable when she made that annoyed face. Her nose wrinkled, her cheeks lifted up a little and her eyebrows narrowed so much that they almost seemed to be one, it was amusing. Waving a hand, he made a whole new banquet appear for them.

"Now, real food."

Even though he expected Belle to smile and start to eat, once more she surprised him when her reaction was completely different from what he thought it would be. She looked down at her new empty golden plate, a long deep sigh escaping her lips, showing how distant her mind was.

"I'm sorry," the girl whispered.

"For what?"

"For being a bad wife," Belle answered in a hopeless voice. "I know that's why you never sleep by my side or never share much about yourself."

The guilty hit him like a thousand heavy rocks. He had been deceiving her so much lately and he truly wished he could give her more, be honest and give her all the love she deserved, but he couldn't, for Rumplestiltskin had to keep being the beast he ever was and not allow this relationship to evolve more, because what he was feeling for her was dangerous.

When he asked her hand in marriage in that deal he made with King Maurice, he thought that Belle would be just another object to his collection, but one that he could use more often. When he decided that he wasn't going to harm her and for so, he would lock the girl on the tower, he thought that he could just forget about her existence. When he shared her bed for the first time, he thought he could get to control himself and let it be just a night of pleasure.

In all of these occasions, Rumplestiltskin was wrong. And now, he had to plan every step he took, so he wouldn't end up ruining everything, including his own life. He needed her to take those potions, to wear that necklace, to keep in the dark, but above all, he needed something always poisoning their feelings for each other, for they love must not be pure.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help caring for her. His little wife, held a special place in his heart and he was never going to be able to erase the damage she had already done in there. Her name was written all over it.

"Belle, look at me," Rumplestiltskin said, reaching for her hand and lifting it to place a soft kiss in her palm. "You are perfect, alright?"

She smiled shyly and it was like the light was been brought back to the room. Belle had that power. Belle was the glowing moon in the night sky and the rising sun that woke him every morning. Belle was his weakness.

* * *

Later that night, when they made it to her chambers, Rumplestiltskin took his time unlacing her bodice and taking off all the layers of her gown until she was gloriously bare to him. He lowered the lights, never allowing her to get a better view of his body and he didn't properly adore her like he wished he could do, actually he needed to admit that he wasn't being a good lover to her, because he never gave her everything she deserved, as the selfishness must remain to keep things in balance. But Belle seemed satisfied with anything he was willing to give her, at least in terms of their coupling.

She never complained, only murmured love to his ears as he moved within her and the way she always held him so close, almost cradling him in her arms as he gasped and groaned against her sweaty skin, always made him unsure and fearful after it all was over. But Rumplestiltskin hoped that, in the future, might a day where he could share the same feelings he wife seemed to have for him and even increase hers, however, that future seemed to be very far away.

He laid spent at her side, caressing her beautiful curled her in one of the simplest gestures ever, but also one that he very rarely did, but after everything that happened during the day, he felt the need to reassure Belle of his utter devotion for her.

"You know, I've never made love to anyone before."

She lifted herself in one elbow, looking at him with mistrust shinning in those gorgeous blue irises. Belle might have been an innocent when they first shared a bed, but she was pretty sure that she would have recognized if he was an inexperienced as her.

"What about Cora?"

"No, my darling," he answered, touching her brow tenderly. "I have lain with many women, but I've never looked deep inside their eyes or felt so connected with them when I did so."

Belle sighed, her heart being suddenly lighted by his words. Usually there weren't moments like these, he would just leave too soon, but she was really grateful that he just remained there for now, how long it may last. She traced down his chest in the darkness, loving the texture of his skin against her fingertips, it was unique and it was all hers.

Risking ruining that moment of peace wasn't something that she was willing to do, however he sounded so sweet that the words simply slipped out of Belle's mouth before she couldn't help herself.

"Do you love me?"

His expression changed, getting less soft and more apprehensive.

"I care for you, very much," was all he could say, before his eyes go wide and he quickly slipped off of the bed. "Damn it."

"What is it?"

"I'm being summoned, very far away from here," Rumplestiltskin explained, dressing himself with magic. "Sweetheart, the door will remain open and I will come back in a day or so."

Belle sat on the bed, gripping the soft blanket to cover herself as she watched him walk to the door.

"Rumple," she called and he briefly looked at her over his shoulder. "I do. I love you."

There was no answer from him, he simply disappeared leaving her alone once more, just like any other night, but today a little excitement took Belle as she reached for her nightgown on the floor. She waited for some hours, until she was totally sure that Rumple was already gone, then she took off the necklace, placing it beside the potion he had left for her as usual. Then, she made her way downstairs.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** Guess daily updates are not happening, right? I'm so sorry. I'll try to do better._

 _And to all the dear guests leaving those lovely comments: Thank you so much. I wish I could reply to you all every single time, but the site does not offers this option and sometimes I just forget to add an answer to the main text of the fic. So receive all my love now. Your comments are very much appreciatted._


	8. Tower Of Darkness

Tiptoeing around the Dark Castle in the middle of the night, Belle was a little less sure about her decision of getting rid of the necklace Rumplestiltskin gave her. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for, or if she was looking for something, but she held on the thought that for some reason, her husband just didn't want her to go out of her chambers without it, which meant that, whatever was the necklace's power, she had to be walking around the castle to see if anything different happened.

Belle crossed the dining hall, attentive at any sign of magic, but there was none, which she thought to be very strange. Maybe it all was a great waste of time and maybe what the necklace had was a protection spell or something like that and she was just being silly, by not believing in Rumple. Decided to go back to bed and finally drink that potion he left to see what happened, Belle reached for the door that led to the tower where the treasure room was set, meaning to get the book she left there, so she could have a good morning of reading tomorrow, but she stopped half-way to the staircase, when she caught a glance of something she had never seen there before.

Three towers, Belle remembered counting the day Rumplestiltskin showed her the castle. Three side entrances that lead up and down. Only three. So, how was it possible that tonight there it was four of them?

Hesitantly, she turned around, making her way to the new set of stairs and starting to climb them up, the sound of her steps, the only noise echoing in the empty corridors of the castle. Belle palmed the stone walls, tracing them slowly as she continued to make her way up, until she was faced with a large wooden door. It was a decision for her, a big one, opening it and finding what Rumple had been hiding this whole time, or just turning her back to it and trying to forget what see discovered, however Belle's need for answers spoke loudly and she pushed it open, revealing a large room in which a cage was set with a woman inside.

Dark brown hair fell around her shoulders, she was wearing a raggedy cream peasant dress and her hands were cuffed, a heavy metal chain linking it to the floor. She lifted her glance to Belle, revealing that her eyes were also brown; she was very beautiful, although her expression was exhausted and full of pain.

"Who are you?" Belle asked in a whisper.

"My name is Fiona," the woman answered weakly, "and you must be the Dark One's wife."

A strange icily sensation set heavy on her stomach. Belle didn't dare approaching the prisoner, she stood near to the door, pulling her pink shawl closer to her body, as if she could warm herself enough to make the cold of the fear go away. Too many questions filled her mind, but she mainly wanted to know how that woman, that had been locked inside a secret tower knew who she was.

"Yes, I am."

"I never thought he would reveal this place for you," Fiona said, moving up so she was sat on her heels, glancing directly at Belle's wide blue eyes.

"He didn't," Belle felt compelled to say. "I've found it on my own."

That woman, Fiona, should've known that Rumplestiltskin would never in a million years allow her to enter that tower by his own will, after all there was a reason why he gave her that necklace and something told Belle that what he was hiding was way more complicated than merely having prisoners. Every high lord in those lands had at least one or two people under arrest in their dungeouns, just like her father, an important king had lots of traitors in his. It wouldn't surprise her if she found somebody locked in the Dark One's own residence, but the way Fiona was being kept so hidden with magic was enough for her to know that this woman had a certain value and maybe even dangerous powers.

She analysed Fiona's beautiful face, she saw the malice glowing in her deep brown eyes just behind the pain she seemed to be feeling. Belle crooked her head to the side, paying attention to the slight shine that crossed the cage from time to time, recognising the force of a well-casted spell surrounding it.

"Then you must be very brave," Fiona murmured.

Decided to test that woman and see what she could get from her, Belle played nervously with her own hands, lifting her chin a little higher, trying to look confident, even though her breath was hikiching.

"Rumple... He was lying to me. I knew that he was, but when I took off the necklace I never expected to find this," she told Fiona, gesticulating a hand around.

"Surprised with what darkness really looks like, my dear?" The woman laughed, wickedily. "It seems he was really fooling you, but he didn't realise that he had a precious clever woman by his side. Let me tell you something, this marriage won't last."

Her heart flipped inside her chest and Belle pressed a hand firmly to it while the other wrapped itself around her waist, as if shielding her from the truth. Of course, a dark part of her was whispering it to her ear all the time, but Belle didn't want to listen, because she was too in love to simply lose Rumplestiltskin now.

"Why?" She asked in a shattered voice.

"Because he needs someone that he can manipulate, that he blind and use at his own will and you don't seem to be that person."

A long mournful sigh left Belle, her heart breaking more at the realisation that Fiona was right. She wasn't that person, she would never be able to obey Rumple's orders blindly, otherwise she would never be there. Was it the reason why Fiona was there? Had she failed being the woman Rumplestiltskin wanted to be by his side?

"Were you - " she started, voice shaken. "Were you his wife?"

"Oh, no, dear," Fiona chuckled. "I'm just someone he thinks that have the answers he seeks."

"Answers for what?" Belle inquired, frustrated. That was when a loud sound came from somewhere near, a noise like a muffled, torturous scream of pain. She looked straight to Fiona, another question on the tip of her tongue. "Did you hear this?"

Nodding, the other woman slid back to the floor, as if sitting hurt too much for her to do it for too long. Fiona seemed to be so tired and weak, that if it wasn't for the clear fire of spirit in her eyes, Belle would have thought her to be completely powerless.

"Yeah, I hear it every day. It's the other prisoner, she stays on the floor above mine."

Belle's eyes scanned quickly the room, finding the second door that she had missed, the one that probably led to another unfortunate soul.

"A wife?" She questions in fear.

"A seer," Fiona replied. "Go take a look on her and then come back here."

Almost involuntarily, Belle walked to the door, opening it to find a long set of stairs that she climbed in silence, the adrenaline of the moment moving her before her brain could work on a reasonable list of reasons for her to turn back around and never come to this place again. When she arrived the next floor, everything seemed pretty much the same as the other one: a cage and a girl, which was younger than Fiona and had red hair.

Her back was turned to Belle, she had no cuffs around her wrist and she moved, giving the princess the first view of her face a scream of horror left the brunette, because her eyes had been sewn.

"Oh, my dear gods!"

"Rumplestiltskin..." The girl started in a hoarse voice. "The boy will be your undoing. He shall come and he shall destroy what darkness created."

"It is not Rumplestiltskin," Belle swallowed, "but his wife."

She had no idea what that girl was taking about and when she advanced, holding the bars of her cage, Belle stepped back, her shawl falling down her shoulders and bringing a new coldness to settle in her stomach, but the icy air of the night wasn't the only guilty of her trembles, as her despair was so enormous that it made her feel like she could throw up her dinner at any time.

"Light," the seer said, this time in a softer tone. "Pure it may be."

"What?"

"Beauty..."

Her fists became flaccid around the bars and Belle watched as the girl fell to the floor, before rushing back to where Fiona was.

"She - " Belle almost cried. "I think she fainted."

"Thanks gods," Fiona mumbled, moodily. "I couldn't take her screams anymore."

So, the seer was like that every single day? Did she speak nonsense until her powers drained her strength and she passed out? Belle shooked her head, thinking that the price of the magic was way too expensive to be paid willingly.

"She said some strange things," Belle told her. "Something about a boy being Rumple's undoing. What does it mean?"

Fiona breathed in, leaning on her elbow to push herself up once again and this time, when the princess looked into her eyes, what she saw was a different kind of pain, almost mourn.

"It means that there is someone fated to extinguish the darkness."

"How?"

"It's quite simple, if darkness must die, then so must its host."

Oh. Oh, no. So, this was what he was hiding, after all. He was afraid of dying and he was trying to find a way to prevent this prophecy from happening, that was the reason he was keeping these women in there and he probably just didn't want her to know, because he wasn't proud of what he was doing. But did the potion had something to do with it?

"Rumple," she murmured. "This whole time, that's what has been troubling him?"

"I believe there is more to it than both of us know."

"You said he thinks that you have the answers he need. Are they about this prophecy?"

"Yes," Fiona said, "but I don't have the information he needed."

Of course, or she was obviously lying. A prisoner locked in that place for gods know how much time, would be desperate enough to say anything that could get someone to trust her enough to be stupid and try to free her. But tonight, Belle wasn't that person. Tonight, she didn't care for being a hero, she only wanted to know what her husband had been doing behind her back and if that prophecy was what frightened him then, how to help him to fool his own fate.

"So why does he keep you here?" She continued, going on with her interrogatory.

"I have done something for him in the past and he haven't forgiven me."

Then, she was right, it wasn't just about the prophecy. It may be Rumplestiltskin's great concern, but she knew very well that he played a long game and each one of his movements were carefully calculated. He didn't do much things in the urge of the moment or without a plausible reason, he was too clever to and powerful to just keep prisoners for fun like she knew that lots of high born men in this land did. But yet, her husband wasn't like any other man.

"What did you do?"

"You make way too many questions, my dear," Fiona sighed.

"I know," Belle answered, petulantly, taking a dangerous step closer to the cage. "But I very rarely get the answers I need."

"You don't trust your husband, right?"

Her eyes closed for a very brief moment, as she remembered about the last couple of weeks and how the mistrust between them seemed to grown alongside with their affections for each other. They got closer and distant at the same time. Belle would give anything to know if that was killing Rumple as much as it did her.

"I - " she swallowed, feeling tears start to burn in her eyes, blurring her vision. "I want to, I just can't, because he keeps hiding things from me, giving me mysterious objects and potions without a simple explanation about them."

That caught Fiona's attention. Her gaze fixed in Belle as her eyes slowly narrowed.

"Potions?"

"Yeah, ever since we... Well, ever since our first night together he has been leaving me those things and I can't find the will to drink them."

She watched as the prisoner's expression changed and that wild fire came back. Fiona tossed and turned, pulling at the chains with strength a beastly scream leaving her when she did so, making Belle jump, startled.

The other woman looked at her with something that resembled hate and yelled: "Get the hell out of here!"

Scared, shaken and weak, Belle rushed away, slamming the door shut behind her and going straight to her room, where she pulled on the necklace again, knowing that she wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. She would never go back to the secret tower again.

* * *

Belle spent the next day in bed. After what had happened in the night prior, she couldn't simply manage to go on with her routine, she was feeling dizzy and there were too many things filling her mind. When she finally convinced herself to stand up, take a bath and make herself some tea, it was already afternoon and the dining hall was being illuminated by the beautiful colours of the sunset.

She sat in a chaise near the windows, looking down them as she sipped at her drink, before the well-known second presence in the room made her turn around, already knowing who she was going to see. Belle smiled weakly at Rumplestiltskin and he made his way to her, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Hey, you look pale," he pointed out.

"I wasn't feeling well this morning," Belle answered.

It wasn't exactly a lie, but she felt bad for not being completely true with him and now Belle knew that she needed to. It was time for all the barriers between them to fell down and whatever consequences might come from the honesty to arrive. They just couldn't keep going this way. Not anymore.

But as Rumple slid to her side in the chaise cradling her face in his hands, Belle's courage weakened a little.

"Well, I think I have an idea that might cheer you up," the imp said pulling a curl behind her ear.

"Can it wait just a little bit? We need to talk."

"No," he answered, making a basket appear on her lap, "you will go to the village to buy some straw for me."

Belle blinked in disbelief. Weeks ago, he didn't even allow her to step a foot outside her chambers and now he suddenly wanted her to go to the village? Had something changed during this trip of his? Did he know that she took off the necklace and found his prisoners?

Her breath quickened and she knew that he could see how shocked she was and feel her pulse maddening under his palm that had come to lay on her throat. There was still contact between them, but the look on Rumplestiltskin's eyes made Belle understand that he was about to break it.

"Are you kidding?"

"No," he murmured pulling away from her and standing up.

Worrying at her lip, she traced the handle of the basket, fighting against the tears that started to pluck at her eyes.

"Why would you let me go?"

"Because you need to," Rumple answered.

His voice was low and sad. Belle felt herself drown into the cold fear again, her heart beating so fast that she swore its sound could be heard in the whole castle. He was letting her go, he was breaking their vow and ending their marriage. The Dark One no longer wanted her.

Letting out a strangled sound, Belle asked: "Do you want me to come back?"

"I want you to be free," Rumplestiltskin said, then he disappeared.

The tears inevitably came and she let them fall in silence for quite a long time, before she rose from the chair, going to her chambers and packing only the necessary in a small leather bag. She grabbed the basket, pulled on a cloak and left the castle, feeling some extra weight on her arm, when straws of gold appeared in the basket alongside with some bread and water.

Belle looked back, but she didn't turn around. That was what she wanted after all: the great wide world and the adventures she could have discovering it. Rumplestiltskin had given it to her and even if his rejection hurt her, Belle was way too stubborn to ask if she could stay.

She took the road that lead to the nearest village, with Rumplestiltskin watching her from the windows until she was out of sight.


	9. Freedom

She made it to the village by noon in the next day. Belle had stopped to sleep in the woods, as hidden as she could manage, when she felt that she was so exhausted that her eyes couldn't keep open anymore. It was a bad night of sleep, she tossed and turned, using her cloak as a blanket, but the ground wasn't comfortable and she couldn't stop thinking about Rumplestiltskin not even for a moment.

When the sun rose, she stood up kept following the road until she found herself in a large market where people were buying all sort of things. Belle had never been to such kind of place and decided to take a look at it before she could go own with her trip. She held the basket in one hand and approached a small tent where some beautiful scarfs were displayed. The girl started to pass her fingers through the soft fabrics until she stopped in a red one.

"Excuse me," she said, calling for the old man that seemed to be the owner of the tent, "how much is that?"

"Three silver coins," he answered.

Reaching for the bag with different coloured coins that Rumplestiltskin magically gifted her with when she was leaving the castle, Belle took what the seller asked.

"I'd like to buy it."

She handed him the coins, receiving the scarf back, when his eyes glued in the white gold piece shinning in her finger.

"You have a beautiful ring here, my lady," the old man pointed out. "I'll pay two gold coins for it."

Immediately, Belle stepped back. There was this sense of self-defence inside her that screamed for her to leave this place and go back to the Dark Castle, where her protective husband was. She felt slightly offended that someone would think that they could get her jewels this way, because she wasn't wearing with the intention of getting any money from stupid exchanges, but Belle guessed that maybe it was how things worked there.

Of course, she would never know for sure, as she had been raised as a princess and everything she needed was brought to her by people that were always respectable with her.

"It is not for sale," the girl said slowly. "It's my wedding ring."

"Oh, I'm sorry, but if your marriage ever ends or if he dies, you can come here and I'll buy it."

After these words, Belle left. Because the truth hurt and without knowing, that man had said something true. Her marriage was indeed over, Rumple had freed her, she was there all alone and couldn't even find the will to go back to her father's castle.

Feeling nauseous, she headed to a tavern thinking about having a drink with the hope it could make her forget about Rumplestiltskin and think about where to go, but as soon as she sat by a table and felt the terrible smell of sweat and alcohol that filled the place, Belle's stomach contracted painfully and she opted to just ask for some water and blueberry pie. It didn't get to make her feel any better, though, the nausea was still there and the despair that started to settle heavy on her chest made some tears come to her eyes.

Gods, what had she done? She should have stayed, fought with Rumple and maybe tell him all the truth about her recent discovery and she certainly should not have been so stubborn and simply taken the road. It was a mistake. Belle loved him too much to go own with her life without knowing that she had tried everything she could to make their marriage work.

The only thing that was preventing her from running straight back to the Dark Castle, was the fact that there were still many lies between Rumple and her, and that weird distant proximity they shared hurt too much and made the decision more difficult. Belle knew that things wouldn't change and she was also pretty aware that she could make her way back just to be rejected by him. That just didn't mean that sitting there, looking down at a half-eaten pie which didn't even taste good, wasn't also equally painful and torturous.

"You seem sad," Belle heard a woman's voice saying and looked up to find a dark-haired girl that appeared to be about her age, standing in front of her table with a cup of beer in her hands.

"I don't know where to go," she answered with a tired sigh. "I thought once I was free, I would find adventure, see gorgeous new places, slay some dragons or, I don't know, do something epic. But I'm miserably drinking water at a tavern."

"Well, your expectations were really big," the dark-haired girl replied, slipping to the chair in front of her with a presunptous smile. "I'm Ruby."

"Belle," she returned, offering her hand for Ruby in a quick shake.

There weren't much people in the tavern that Belle would allow to sit with her to have a little chat, but this girl appeared to be quite nice and she was feeling in need of a talk, with however it was, then the only thing she did was to keep smiling weakly at her as she traced the borders of her cup with a finger.

"It is nice to meet you. So, tell me what do you have in mind to start this little adventure of yours?"

"Nothing, really," Belle shrugged. "I can't stop thinking about my husband."

Ruby arched a brow for her taking a quick sip of her her drink.

"Oh, so there is a husband. Why did you leave him?"

"He told me to go away," the girl told the other, so lost in thoughts that started to babble more than she would have liked to. "We love each other, but he has so many secrets... It's difficult to cope with that."

"Maybe he just needs a different treatment," Ruby suggested. "Show him that you'll be there no matter what. Come back and assure this man that you love him more than anything."

Belle bit down her lip, thinking about how tempting it was to do what the girl had just said, but unable to find the right strength to pull herself up and follow the road back home. For gods' sake, she didn't even know the meaning of a true home anymore, because if she did, she would have already gone there.

"I'm not sure if I should," Belle admitted. "I don't know if that's the life I want for me."

Leaning forward, Ruby laid her chin lazily against her palm as her dark eyes fixed in Belle's blue ones.

"Well, you tasted another life and you ended up here. This is where you want to be?"

And that was what she needed to understand. Belle had always seeked a life so exciting as the stories she read in her books, but now she could see that she wasn't going to find it anywhere, because she already had it with Rumple. It was like she was the main character of a mystery book and she needed to keep reading to comprehend the whole plot, otherwise the story would have an end. She hadn't given herself the chance of exploring more the situation in the Dark Castle and she certainly needed to do it.

"No," Belle said, confident for the first time in that day. She stood up, feeling the ache in her stomach decrease. "Thank you, for the encouragement, Ruby. I needed it."

"If you're ever around, my house is the last one on north way," she said with a grin.

"Alright, I hope I can get to see you again."

Then, she turned her back to Ruby, leaving her in the tavern as she grabbed her basket and made one last stop before heading to the only place where her heart wanted to go, because Belle knew that the other half of her soul was left there, waiting for her to come back.

* * *

It was the end of the third day since she left, when Belle finally reached the castle again. She felt extremely tired and called out for her husband as soon as she passed through the front doors, but there was no one there, so she made her way to her old chambers, finding every single thing in the exactly same place she left, the room completely untouched. Belle placed the basket on the floor near her bed and casted her dirty blue gown and green cloak aside, before she went to the closet to pick a soft clean nightgown and bring it with her to the bathroom, where she sank in the bathtub, cleaning herself until she was sure that her skin was smooth and she smell like lavender.

After drying her hair and pulling on her gown, Belle walked temptingly to the draw where she kept the magic mirror that had allowed her to talk to Rumple so many times and took it off there, glancing at its surface and expecting to see the same dark image that appeared there whenever he didn't want to see her, but instead, she was gifted with an image of the imp standing near the fireplace. He was back, and she almost squealed in happiness to see him, but the girl contained herself, pushing the back to its place before she ventured herself through the Dark Castle's corridors in search for the chambers she had only once visited, when her husband decided to give her a tour through it and he eventually had to point out he own bedroom for her.

She didn't knock. She couldn't even remember that she was supposed to knock on the door before entering somebody's chambers, because at the moment Belle didn't have enough presence of mind to notice anything else than the fact that they were in the same place again, so she just pushed it open very slowly, peeking a look inside to see that he was still in the same place, almost as if time had frozen until she got there.

Belle cleaned her throat, closing the door behind her and pulling her hair away from her face, throwing it behind her shoulders as the Dark One turned around with an astonished look in his reptilian eyes.

"Rumplestiltskin."

"Belle?" His voice was shaken, unsure, so unlike the big bad dealer he used to play. "What are you doing here?"

Taking some steps into his direction, Belle palmed his cheek relishing in the way his eyes closed for just a second and he leaned into her touch. He wasn't going to threw her out again. She didn't yet understand his reasons to let her go in first place, but know she could see that he never truly meant it.

"This is where I belong," Belle whispered, stroking his scaled skin with her thumb as she watched the amusement fill his expression. "I'm yours and you can't get rid of me so simply."

"Sweetheart - " he tried to start, but Belle shooked her head, stopping his words.

"Listen to me," she begged, coming closer and closer, until she laced her arms behind his neck, pressing her body to his. "I love you and I can't stop loving you. I won't."

Rumplestiltskin nodded, almost mindlessly and bent over to catch her lips on his own, pressing them together very gently and poking their noses with a small giggle before he turned the kiss into something that was lost in a desperate passion and Belle returned it with the same excitement, diving into it until her lungs seemed about to explode and she was forced to pull away, resting her forehead against his.

"My dear wife," the imp muttered, gently petting her hair, still unable to believe that she was really there.

Breathing all the oxygen she needed, Belle departed from him just enough so she could slide the sleeves of her nightgown down her shoulders to let it fall to the floor, revealing her naked body to him. Rumple's mouth opened, but no sound came from him, he just kept staring at her in awe, admiring her beauty and her determination to get what she wanted.

Seeing the opportunity, Belle hooked her fingers on the laces of his waistcoat and started to loosen it before he could manage to complain. She looked up, fixing her gaze on him while her fingers worked.

"Tonight, it will be my way," she said. "Don't you dare using magic for anything and don't light off the candles, I will see you."

He waved his head positively and kissed her once more right before Belle could manage to take the waistcoat off and untucked his shirt next, seeing how uncomfortable he appeared to be with the prospect of her seeing him completely for the first time. Belle knew that he felt insecure about himself, that he thought himself to be an ugly monster and that was why he never allowed her to see him when they were making love.

Until that moment, Belle had only felt Rumplestiltskin. She knew his whole body by tact, she could recognize the silhouette of him, but had never truly appreciated his shape as he did hers, so kept going, giving him one last assuring look before she helped her husband to take off the crimson shirt.

Her breath got caught in her throat. He was thin, as she already knew, but he had some defined muscles on his arms and torso, even though he wasn't like the knights that used to train outside her father's castle, and she find out that she liked it. Rumplestiltskin was perfect, he just didn't know that. His skin was textured and felt unique under her touch as she slayed her hands in his chest, tracing up and down, letting her thumbs brush at his dark nipples, eliciting a low groan to leave his mouth.

"So beautiful," she murmured. "Rumple, you are gorgeous."

She kissed his throat sucking at it like he used to do with hers and she felt his pulse quick under her mouth. Hers fingers came down to open the laces of his black leather trousers and she felt how hard he already was, daring to trace his length and making him moan before she freed him, staring at his erected member and feeling blush come to her face.

Belle had also never seen it and gods, she was glad that she didn't because she would have been way more nervous in their first night if she had seen how big he was. For a second, she worried at her lip, wondering how he could ever fit inside her, when the tactile memory of it moving within her brought a new ache to her core. She closed her fingers around it and pumped gently, causing a choking sound to escape Rumple.

It was a good sound, almost like the ones he made when they were joined, so she did it again and this time he gasped and lifted a hand to stroke her face.

"Feeling adventurous, my love?"

"Oh, yes," she agreed.

Chuckling, Rumplestiltkin made his boots and trousers, that were still tucked in his knees, vanish and dragged Belle to his bed, spreading kisses to her face, neck and shoulders, until she hit the mattress.

"On your back," he commanded and she settled herself in the middle of the bed, opening her legs and stretching a hand in an invitation for him to join her, what he did after a minute of memorizing her image. "If we are doing this, then we will be doing it properly. I intend to show you how much better this can be."

He kissed the way down her body, giving her breast the needed attention that made Belle moan and arch herself into his mouth, feeling herself grown wet as his teeth scratched her sensitive skin and his fingers played with the hard bud, until he left, his cold nose tracing a line down her belly, causing heat to settle heavy at her womb.

Then, came what she wasn't expecting. Rumple spread her legs wider and his head disappeared between the, his breath hitting her insides and making the well-known pressure to start to build, before his tongue started to lick her folds very slowly, stopping to circle just at the right place with every motion.

"Rumplestiltskin..." Belle gasped. "Ah!"

"So wet for the old monster…" he whispered against her heat, pressing a kiss to her clit and making her writhe.

This was very new for her, because they had never truly explored each other's body, everything they did was to touch and kiss in their safe zone until they were ready for the usual coupling. But what he was doing to her now, with his amazing clever tongue, that send jolts of pleasure through all of her body and everything Belle could do was to hold onto his hair, keeping him in place as he lapped at her, her hips involuntarily bucking against his mouth as the pressure grew impossibly good.

"Please don't stop," Belle pleaded, her voice sounding weird to her own ears, it was high pitched, shaken and interrupted by a gasp of pleasure.

His tongue came up circling her little bundle of nerves again and she felt when two fingers slid easily into her. Belle started to writhe desperately, panting and moaning like she never did before, her core burning so strongly that she knew it only needed the right touch to make her come undone. Rumple could feel her channel tightening around his fingers and just the thought of it squeezing his cock, made him twitch and ache for release. He closed his mouth around her clit and sucked it.

In the next second, Belle was crying out in ecstasy, seeing stars burst, as he pulled his fingers out of her to drink her pleasure until the last drop. When he looked up she was trying to catch her breath and he moved, so he could press a tender kiss to her temple.

"How did it feel, sweetheart?" He asked in a whisper.

"Perfect," she answered, hand finding its way down his body to stroke his cock, gently spreading the moisture she found there, around his tip. "I'm ready for you."

"I know," Rumple chuckled as he settled himself between her legs and lined them, sliding all the way in with a slow torturous thrust. Then, she was everywhere and just the feeling of her heart enveloping him, was enough to make him regret he had been doing, the way he had been deceiving her just to send her away later. "Oh, Belle, I thought I would never see you again."

She palmed his face with one hand, while the other massaged his back. This, Belle realised, was where she felt at home.

"I had to come back, my place is here and when I'm with you like this, I feel so complete," the words were like an encouragement and they made him move within her and it was so perfect, that all Belle ever wanted to feel again was their bodies joined this way. "I'm just whole when you're inside me. I'm just me when your soul collides with mine."

She laced her legs behind his backside, pulling him deeper and Rumplestiltskin let out a deep groan.

"Don't you ever go away again," be begged, pounding faster inside her.

"Don't tell me to go," she whispered with no true strength to her voice, she was lost in him and when he thrusted a little harder, her eyes rolled back. "Oh!"

Her body was still ignited by her first orgasm and somehow the friction they created was stronger, every bit of her body seemed over sensible and whenever he nibbled at her neck or played with her breasts, Belle's breath got more difficult, her whole-body trembling with the need of release.

She pulled Rumple as closer as she could, amazed with how dark with lust his eyes were. He was erratic and seek for her above where their bodies met, to give her a final pinch that made her come again with a long whimper of his name, her walls clenching him so tight that she brought him to release together.

"Belle - " Rumplestiltskin mumbled, breathless, as he filled her with warmth, spilling himself in jolts of pleasure until, he became soft within her.

He stayed in place, face hidden in the crock of her neck, caressing her hips until he gathered enough strength to roll off to his side. Rumple fixed his gaze on her, watching as Belle tried to stead her breath again, eyes closed and a little smile on her lips.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, touching her hair and catching a curl between his fingers.

Eyes opening, Belle showed some concern. "For what?"

"For everything I've done to you," Rumplestiltskin explained. "Being the Dark One isn't easy, Belle, and I have a lot to worry about, I just never expected to care so much about you, and now I'm sure that I need to protect you at all costs, because you're the most precious thing I have."

That was the most beautiful thing he had ever said to her and it made Belle realise that even though he had all those walls hiding his feelings, he still had a good heart that beat for her, that was everything she needed. Crazy prisoners, necklaces and potions be damned, all she needed was him.

"I love you too," Belle answered, tracing his jawline. "When you feel ready to talk about what bothers you, I'll be here. But for now, I would relish in share this bed with you for the rest of the night."

He nodded, taking her hand and kissing it. "I won't leave, I promise."

Rumplestiltskin made a warm fuzzy blanket appear above them and wrapped Belle around it, involving her into his embrace and letting his little wife rest her head against his shoulder.

"Mm, I bought you the straw," she muttered in a sleepy voice.

"To the hell with the straw, what I really wanted was to have you back in my arms. That is what is really important."

"Yeah, you're right, but if you let all that straw go to waste I'll be angry."

He laughed slightly, nuzzling his nose on her hair.

"Sleep, my darling," Rumplestiltskin said.

And slowly she let herself be dragged to unconsciousness, but she was still awake enough to hear when he whispered the only thing that could make that moment even more remarkable.

"I love you, Belle."


	10. A Big Mistake

They were living a lie. Both of them were pretty aware of it, but they played the good husband and wife along the next few weeks, sharing meals and small talks, kissing at the dining hall and sleeping side by side, but for some reason, that could only be explained by the fact they knew they were walking in a fragile line, they didn't attempt to make love, ever since the night Belle came back to the Dark Castle.

A part of her was slightly glad that Rumplestiltskin didn't seek for her in those upcoming days, because the illness in her stomach didn't seem to heal, as the same nauseous feeling that had been bothering her in the village, settled itself in her body and made it almost impossible for her to eat anything, without feeling the need to throw up. Belle didn't say a thing to Rumple about that, because most of the time they were both too busy with other matters, to have a real conversation that led to some place where she would feel comfortable enough, to tell him how sick she had been lately.

Instead of talking, she spent more time than she ever did in her library, trying to find anything related to the power of the Dark One, that could give her a clue about the prophecy the Seer had spoken about, the day she found her. But, of course, even in such a big library, there was no information about the most powerful man in these lands. That must be a great secret, Belle concluded, as she flipped the pages of a book about fairies.

She wasn't paying much attention to the figures and runes in the pages, when suddenly something made her stop, a draw of two women facing each other with wands up. It was a fascinating story about how the Yellow Fairy got banished to another realm, after she did something so devilish that the other fairies considered her the darkest being alive and not worth to be around them anymore. The tale told that the Blue Fairy fought very hard with her, but ended up winning and cutting out Yellow's wings, so she was sure that for the rest of the eternity, she would feel ashamed for what she did.

Belle thought that it was terrible and cruel, which contradicted everything she knew about fairies. Back in Avonlea, she had learned they were light creatures, always helped people with pure hearts and took care of children, so it was kind of difficult for her, to imagine them doing such horrible things like hurting one another. She started to wonder, what the Yellow Fairy might have done to deserve this terrible fate and hoped the book had more answers as it go on, however it didn't speak another word about the subject.

Returning the book to its place, Belle climbed up the stairs and stood in front of the door for a moment. Rumplestiltskin was away to seal a deal and, although she had promised herself, that she would never come back to the secret tower, Belle felt like she would also never get to find anything else about the Dark One's prophecy if she didn't do so. Breathing a little deeper, she took off the necklace, placing it in the hidden pocket of her gown and going down, crossing the whole castle to the huge kitchen.

Picking some things, that had appeared there to be served in the afternoon tea, Belle filled a small basket with food, before heading to the secret tower, pushing open the door of the first floor.

Fiona was laid in the same place she had been in the last time Belle came there, but now, she looked a little paler. Her gaze lifted to Belle as soon as she heard her steps, an expression of disgust appearing in her face.

"What are you doing here?" Fiona questioned.

"I need to know everything," Belle said. "I need to save Rumplestiltskin."

Sitting up, the other woman narrowed her eyes, showing the hate she clearly felt for the Dark One's wife. "No, my dear, what you really need to do is to go away."

"I'm not listening to you."

Turning her back to the prisoner, Belle made her way to the other floor, where the redhead seer was being kept. Just to know that she was getting closer to that strange woman, made her heart race and her stomach ache even more than it already was, but she needed to be brave, not for herself, but for the man she loved.

She entered the room seeing the redhead leaning against the bars of her cage. Slowly, the girl approached her, holding the basket against her chest as she kneeled close to the seer.

"Hey, my name is Belle, I brought some food and I would gladly give it to you, if you give me the information I need."

Even though it was difficult to understand the seer's expressions, when half of her face was sewn, the girl would bet, by the way her pale hands grabbed the bars that she was a little desperate for some food. Belle knew that Rumple would never let anyone starve, but she was pretty sure that he also wouldn't serve them a banquet.

"What do you want to know?"

"The prophecy about Rumplestiltskin," Belle said.

The seer took a long, sharp breath, and lifted her hands, making Belle realised for the first time that there were a pair of eyes in her palms.

"By midnight the storm will hit, the screams fill the silence and the boy will come and destroy what darkness created. He will be Rumplestiltskin's undoing, the end of the dark eternity," the seer said in a distant, voice that sounded like a deep echo. "Light must bring him, pure and true, so it can reign over the evil power, extinguishing it until there is nothing left."

It didn't clear anything for Belle, but she pushed the basket for the seer, placing in on the floor, where it could be easily reached.

"Thank you," the Dark One's wife said, before leaving.

Her intention was to pass through the next floor as quickly as she could, before going back to her chambers, where she could write the words the seer said in a parchment to analyse them later, but of course, she couldn't pass through there without calling Fiona's attention.

"Have she told you everything?"

"Yes," Belle confirmed. "But I will find a way. I will protect my husband."

"It is too late," Fiona muttered in a mournful tone.

And even though she had no idea of what that woman was talking about and it left her tempted to ask for an explanation, Belle simply followed her way, going straight back to her chambers.

* * *

She spent the rest of the day trying to find a meaning for the prophecy, but out of the obvious, nothing made sense. Belle wondered what kind of information Rumplestiltskin might think that Fiona had to keep her in there, because he obviously wanted the seer for her powers, but the other woman... She simply had no clue of his reasons to imprison her.

It was late when Belle heard steps coming from her chambers and quickly hid the parchment where she wrote the prophecy, inside a small chest she kept in the library with some ink supplies, before rushing up, to find Rumple just about to enter the closet. A big smile spread on her lips when she saw him and Belle immediately threw her arms around his neck, pressing herself to him as Rumple splayed his hands on her back, breathing in her perfume.

"I'm so happy you're back!" Belle exclaimed. "I missed you."

"I was away for just a few hours," he chuckled.

The problem wasn't how much time he spent away from her, but the prospect of that prophecy: his death. Belle couldn't bear thinking about losing him; their relationship may not be perfect, but she cherished what they had and she wasn't willing to let him go.

When her father promised her hand in marriage to Rumple, Belle felt terrified and she could have never imagined that she would grow to love him, but now that she did, it was impossible to stop. It was like they had formed a bound that was so strong that nobody could break and for some reason, the feeling of this link between them had only increased since she came back. And what she truly needed right now, was to him to make her forget about everything else.

"I know, but I need you," she purred, kissing him and licking his lower lip so he would open his mouth for her, pulling Belle up and carrying her to bed. "I love you so much, Rumple."

He laid her down on her back with a little smirk as his hand cupped her breast through the fabric of her nightgown. It had been too long since they last did this and she couldn't wait for all the layers to be discarded until nothing remained between them. Rumplestiltskin lifted the hem of her gown, cupping her mound and sliding a finger teasingly through her folds.

"Is that what you wish, dearest?"

"Yes," Belle breathed. "Make my head spin."

"As you wish," he answered, a wicked grin taking him.

The imp went down, kissing her tights and causing her to shiver, before he pulled the nightgown up just enough so he could keep kissing more further, worshipping her body until he suddenly stopped with a loud gasp leaving his mouth. He pulled away looking at her in shock, an expression that could be taken as horror, crossing his face.

"No," Rumplestiltskin mumbled.

"What is it?" Belle asked, sitting up and straightening her gown, trying to understand what exactly was happening. "Rumple?"

"You were lying to me," he bounced in a low voice, feeling betrayed like he never before had felt in his whole life. "I thought we trusted each other."

Belle still didn't comprehend what he was talking about, but she had done so many things behind his back in the last months, that she was already feeling guilty. So, that was it, he had finally found out what she was up to and now, everything was ruined.

"I do, I - " she tried to start.

A beastly sound came from his throat and he grabbed the wooden box had given her, from where it was on the desk and threw it against the wall. "You didn't take the potions I gave to you!"

"I - "

"Do you have any idea of what have you done?"

Tears were already filling her eyes. Belle was scared of the way he was acting, breaking objects and yelling at her, so the only thing she could do was to shrink and try not show him how much she was trembling with despair.

"Rumple, I'm sorry," Belle cried. "Please, listen to me."

"No, I can't freaking stop to listen to any of your foolish excuses! I gave you a simple command: to drink the damn potion. Why couldn't you do this?"

A command, sure, because in his mind, he controlled her, like he was her master, her owner, but Belle wasn't any subject, she was a princess, an honourable young woman and his wife. He wasn't going to keep screaming like this without her saying anything else, but some sniffled apologizes. Belle stood up, look into the imp's eyes, lifting her chin and daring him to storm with her again.

"Because you refused to tell me what was it for! And no, I couldn't trust you blindly like this, when you were always hiding things from me!"

Rumplestiltskin took a step into her direction, the coldness coming up to hide whatever his feelings might be, in the moment.

"Do you want to know what was it for?" He asked, dryly, angry, his breath warming her face, but not in a good way, just a threatening one. "Avoiding a conception."

Belle's mouth fell open, her gaze dropping to her middle section and her hands coming to cup her belly. She felt the rigidity in there, noticing for the first time how a slight arc had formed, giving it a new shape.

"A - " Belle tried to say, but her voice died before she could complete the word. She swallowed hard, looking back at Rumplestiltskin. "Oh, dear gods..."

A baby. He gave the potions to her in an attempt to avoid conceiving a child and she didn't drink it, so now there was one. This thought made Belle feel breathless, unsure and completely naïve. How could she not see that coming? How could she have ignored the symptoms she had been feeling or simply not realise that her belly was slowly getting swollen? She was an idiot.

Rumplestiltskin gripped at her wrist, taking her full attention again. "For how long have you known?"

"I didn't."

"You didn't?" He asked, arching an eyebrow for her. "I'm not stupid, dearie, how is that possible that your body changes and you don't notice it? This curve on your belly did not appear in the last few minutes."

"I didn't realise, alright?" Belle answered. "But this is not a bad thing. Rumple, we are having child."

Although it was unexpected for Belle, it was still a good surprise. She hadn't thought much about having children, but at her father's castle, her maids usually told her that this was the ultimate duty of a wife, however she had never been sure if she truly wanted it. Now, things seemed different and everything she could feel was this sudden love that was so strong that could make her heart burst.

"Haven't you understood that I was trying to avoid it?" Rumplestiltskin inquired, shaking his head at her in disapproval. "I don't want a child, Belle!"

That hit her like an arrow to her heart. He didn't want the baby. Rumplestiltskin, the man that she most loved in this whole word, was rejecting his own child and it hurt so much that tears started to drop from her eyes.

"How can you say that?" She mumbled.

"How could you lie to me?"

"You lied first!" Belle screamed, gripping at the pendant around her neck and lifting it to him. "What do you tell me about this?"

"It's just a necklace."

And even now, he couldn't be honest with her. Belle pondered what else Rumplestiltskin expected from her, when she had already given him every single thing she had, her freedom, her virtue, her love and now her body to carry his heir, one he was rejecting. She didn't know what she was supposed to do now, but she knew that if this was going to end in there, then she was going to finally get to hear everything she wanted for so long. He was going to explain her everything.

"Yeah, one that kept me from seeing the fourth tower of this castle, where you keep those women prisoners."

Narrowing his eyes, he tried to breathe deeply to calm himself, but that wasn't working. Belle had broken his trust, she had been lying this whole time and now the only thing he could see when he glanced at her, was a reflexion of Cora's innocent face when she did the same, keeping secrets from him, until she got what she wanted. Rumplestiltskin never thought that Belle would do it him.

"You entered there, even after I told you not to take off, you did it. Wonderful!" He exclaimed, harshly, stepping away from her to prevent himself from doing something he could regret. "There is anything else you want to share with me? Have you had a good chat with my prisoners?"

"In actual fact, I did and I've heard the seer's whole prophecy."

His eyes closed momentarily, every word that left her mouth increasing his anger. Was she so naïve like she appeared to be right now or all of this was just a plot to destroy him? Rumple didn't have the answer for this question, but he preferred to believe in the second option and be cleverer than her.

"So, you must understand the mess you've done."

"Forgive me," Belle dispelled, "but I don't."

Rumplestiltskin let his eyes wander to her middle section, where she still kept a hand, clutching at the fabric of her gown right above where the little bump started to form. He clenched his teeth, his heart beating faster than he would like to admit.

"The boy will be my undoing," he explained. "The child you're bearing is destined to kill me."

Belle's eyes got wild, fingers splaying protectively on her stomach.

"No! No, it can't be," she said, shaking her head. "You're its father and this baby will love you, Rumple, just like I do."

"You do not love me, you never did and this thing you are caring will be as dark as I am. When you see it, you will regret not taking those potions."

Her heart was wrecked and staying in his presence was destroying it a little bit more at each second. So, that was it, he didn't believe in her love anymore and he didn't want to have nothing to do with that baby. The poor little thing hasn't even been born yet and it was already facing the cruelty of that world.

"I will never regret it," Belle assured Rumple. "You need to stop fearing, we don't even know if it is a boy yet."

"Aye, and you better pray to all the gods that you give birth to a girl."

The Dark One watched new tears unstoppably pouring from his wife's eyes and even though he was angry, he didn't want to see her crying. He really wanted that things could be different and they could put all the rest aside, so if only she had a girl, then maybe he could forgive her. And maybe, he could love a daughter.

But he wouldn't stand if it was the boy of the prophecy, he wouldn't allow it to destroy him.

"Or what?" Belle asked between sobs. "What do you intend to do if it is a boy?"

"You don't want to know," he snorted.

She reached for him, surprisingly grabbing his arm and them his hand, leading it to her belly and for a couple of seconds he didn't react, feeling the small curve against his hand and hating himself for it. Hating Belle for it.

"It's your child, Rumplestiltskin. How can't you love it?"

He pulled away, not daring to look into her watery blue eyes.

"I can't love something that will be my damnation."

The imp walked to the door, knowing that his wife was following him, desperately trying to make him turn around.

"You will not leave me like this," Belle yelled. "Rumple, please, you know you're a good man and I know the prophecy does not relate to our baby."

"If you paid enough attention to it, you would realise it is exactly referring to this child," he answered opening the door and glancing at her one last time. "I should have never touched you."

The door slammed shut and Belle tried to open it, but just like in her first weeks in the castle, the magic had settled itself around there, locking her in those chambers and making her just a prisoner again.

"Rumplestiltskin!" Belle screamed, her shoulders shaking violently as she sobbed. "Rumplestiltskin, come back, you can't lock me here again! Please..."

But he didn't pay any attention to her pleads. Belle yelled and cried for hours, until her voice fade and her knees couldn't support her weight anymore. She fell to the floor, curling herself in ball, breathing hard and feeling her stomach protest her dinner.

It was a mistake, it was all a great big mistake. Belle should have gone very far away from there when she had the chance, her father would have accepted her back, he would have hidden her from Rumplestiltskin and she could have raised her child in secret, no one would ever know and the babe wouldn't be in danger. But now, she had to form a new plan to escape from that place.

Slowly, Belle sit up, covering her belly with both hands.

"It's alright, wee one," she whispered to her child, "mama will protect you, even if it is from your own father."


	11. Dealing With Fate

Life had been cruel with Rumplestiltskin many, many times, but this one, he felt like the ground beneath his feet had simply disappeared. He couldn't contain the anger inside himself and he spent a whole night awake staring at the fireplace, as he tried to fight against the tears that he refused to let fall from his eyes. The Dark One hadn't cried in a long time, not even when Cora broke his heart, but the force of Belle's betrayal was so strong, that it was impossible for him to control the rage.

He loved her. Rumplestiltskin loved Belle more than anything in his life, he trusted her, but she just wasn't able to trust him back and now, between all of their mistakes, there was child. Gods, he couldn't just believe it, he never meant it to happen, not even for a second, that was why he gave her the most powerful contraceptive potion he could have made. The Dark One had known about the prophecy for years now and when he started to get involved with Cora and the Seer predicted that she would only give birth to girls, he thought that he could have it all with her and never get to have the baby boy that was destined to be his destruction.

There was an important detail that differed Cora from Belle, and it wasn't the fact of which kind of children they were meant to have, because he never consulted the Seer about his wife, to ask if she saw a boy being born to them, but it was the love they felt for each other and the goodness in Belle's heart. He had never been truly in love for Cora and her heart had always been dark, they couldn't possibly create something good enough to extinguish the darkness.

But Belle, his darling wife was pure and kind, exactly like the prophecy mentioned. She could have lied to him, but deep down he knew that it was his own fault. Now, he had to step back, because he would be lost if he looked into the beautiful blue eyes of hers, copied in the small face a of a wee babe. He would surrender, love it and raise it until it was no longer a child, but a man willing to slay the beast he had as a father.

If that was a normal situation, he would be astonished, full of happiness, with the news of his wife's pregnancy, but it wasn't and the only thing he could feel was tormented and afraid, like coward he was. But as beastly as he felt at the moment he couldn't help, but also feel a terrible ache in his heart for the cruel words he had spitted at Belle about the child, because even if it was meant to kill him, right now it was just an innocent, caught in the middle of a storm.

Rumplestiltskin needed a lot of time to think about his next step, he didn't visit Belle for a week after their fight and even then, all he did was to keep wandering around the castle, too agitated to simply seat and spin some gold. He needed to find a way to fool the fate that had being traced for him and his son, or he would have to do something drastic about that situation and Belle would hate him forever. Of course, he had his backup plan, but he wasn't willing to use it and he would like very much to just be a good father for the child that was to be born.

He even managed to sit himself with face buried in his hands, begging to the gods that Belle please gave him a daughter, so it all could be forgotten, but he knew that even if there was someone listening his pleadings, the person wasn't going to do anything about it, not for him, the monster that locked his wife in a tower and rejected his baby.

But now, after being his weakest, the Dark One was in control of himself again, walking through the grey corridors of Regina's castle, hearing the voices in his head make fun of him, about his immense remorse over his attitudes with Belle, telling him that she would have a little demon in her arms in no time, that the thing would be so dark that it wouldn't even look human. He shooked his head, trying to concentrated in what he had come there for and opening the door to the Evil Queen's chambers.

She was looking at herself in a mirror, brushing her hair with care. Crossing his arms, he cleaned his throat to call her attention and Regina turned to him with a sided-smile, when she noticed the frown on his face.

"Someone doesn't seem to be in his best humour," the queen mocked, standing up. "What happened?"

"None from your business," Rumplestiltskin quickly replied in his most harshly tone. "I have better things to do, so if you did not call me here for what I wanted, then I'm going away."

They had been working together for months, both wanting something they couldn't reach without the help of the other. And that was what deals were for, making sure they strictly got what they wanted and nothing more.

Regina smiled lazily in an almost annoyed way as she adjusted the sleeves of her black dress. Rumple had no time for her silliness today, he still had a lot to think and the anticipation of finally getting what he was waiting for, made his nose wrinkle in anxiety. After a long moment of hesitation, the Queen finally made a movement with her hand and a purple cloud of smoke, brought a young blonde girl to the room, eyes wide in panic, hands cuffed and her green dress in rags.

"Fine," Regina said. "Here she is."

"Finally," Rumplestiltskin breathed, approaching the blonde and going to stand behind her, checking for the scars that should be there.

He withdrew the collar of her dress, just enough to look at them and the girl tossed to free herself from him.

"Get away from me," she spitted.

The imp stepped back, just not because she asked for, but because he had a question for Regina.

"Are you sure that she knows where to find her?"

"Of course, she does," the Evil Queen assured. "Now I want my part of the exchange."

Taking off a small bottle from his coat's inner pocket, he placed it on Regina's hands. The solution of her problems, she hoped, just like the girl could be the solution of his, if only she had the right information.

"Our deal is over," he bounced at the Queen.

The blonde was desperately trying to free herself from the cuffs, which Rumple thought to be slightly amusing, as all of them knew that only magic could take it off and the girl had none of it anymore.

Regina walked towards him, glancing between the two of them. "Will you share with me your plans for Green?"

"It's Tinkerbell," the fairy screamed.

"Who cares?" Regina returned.

Tipping his fingers together, he gave the Queen an expressionless glance, trying not to show how much agony he was feeling, because it had been really long, since Rumplestiltskin felt like one of the desperate souls that seek him and he didn't like to be in this position. He felt weak and right now, that was the only thing he couldn't be.

"Let's just say that she will be more useful, than the last fairy I caught," he explained standing in front of the blonde with threatening eyes and a dangerous voice. "So, tell me, Green, where can I find the Blue Fairy?"

"You can't," Tinkerbell answered in a petulant tone. "The fairy's place is hidden and only people with a pure heart can enter there. You will never find her, Dark One."

Grunting furiously, he waved his hand and the fairy's eyes rolled back, before she fainted in front of Regina's astonished expression. He vanished from there, appearing back to his castle, inside the secret tower, where the Seer was locked.

His breath was coming hard with anger and he wanted to break the whole place, but he needed to keep searching, he needed to find the Blue Fairy and make her reverse the situation or bring her to damnation with him. Either way, she would suffer. But just for now, he would relish in getting anything that could give himself some hope.

He stepped closer to the cage, lifting the Seer up with his magic.

"What do you want from me today, Rumplestiltskin?" She inquired.

"I want to know if my wife is the one that shall bear the child destined to kill me."

The seer smiled, enjoying to know how tortured he was.

"Lights she might be, pure and true."

"You've already told me this many times. I want something concrete, just like what you told me about Cora," he yelled. "Will the baby be a girl?"

"You know, the future is always foggy," the Seer said. "I see your wife holding a heathy child. That's all."

Rumplestiltskin let her fall to the floor with a muffled noise.

"You're useless."

"And you won't reign as the Dark One forever," she mocked.

Then, he left her alone, retiring to his own chambers, where he could start to think about another way to fool the fate.

* * *

Belle had never felt so concerned in her whole life as she did during the horrible two weeks that followed her argument with her husband. He really locked her in there with no real intention of ever seeing her. She had become so usual to crying her heart out, that the tears didn't even came anymore, leaving her wonder what the future had reserved for her and if it would ever allow her some happiness.

Her ultimate preoccupation was her child and what might happen to it. Belle couldn't just convince herself that it was meant to kill Rumple and she could only get more affectionate to the child. She watched the bump grow as the days went by, with the certainty that the babe would be healthy and strong, sometimes wondering if it would inherit its father's magic or thick greenish skin. It wouldn't matter to her, not as long as both could be safe.

The sickness Belle felt, however, wasn't willing to pass. She drank lots of tea and ate mostly nothing, even though it started to make her feel weak and dizzy, which got her spending more time in bed than doing anything else. A pile of book of books, laid down in her nightstand, just at her reach, so she could read aloud when she wasn't feeling so distressed and bring herself some distraction.

That night however, she couldn't read, she kept petting her belly nervously with a lump on her throat as she felt a panic attack arriving. Her mind worked quickly with a million different questions, but the greatest of all, insisting in make her guess if Rumple would keep her locked in there for the rest of her pregnancy or the rest of her life. She wanted him to come there, so she could apologize and assure him that everything was going to be alright.

The girl would take his hand in hers and press it to the place where their child was growing, reminding him that it was made of their love and would be a great joy in their lifes. But she knew him well enough to be sure that that he wasn't going to swallow his pride and do it so soon, if someday he would actually come. Belle felt afraid that he would never want to see the baby and would just forget about them in that tower like he did with the other prisoners.

Sliding off of the bed, she walked to her dresser and picked the magic mirror, knowing that like in every other night she would only see the darkness, however what Belle stopped in the surface, was something that she surely wasn't expecting. A woman's face.

"Belle?" Fiona questioned, startled.

"How can you see me?"

"I have another linking mirror hidden with me, quite smaller than yours, but still works," she answered with a sigh. "I've been using it to hear the things that happen in your chambers for quite a while now. And I'm sorry for what happened between Rumplestiltskin and you."

In any other occasion she would have stormed at Fiona for invading her privacy, as only gods knew what that woman could have heard, but the truth was that Belle was too wrecked to even complain about that. She went back to bed, holding the mirror grateful to have someone to talk for once.

"I need to protect my child," Belle whispered. "Please, tell me what you know about the prophecy."

"I know that fate can't be chanced and your child is likely to be the boy of the prophecy," Fiona said. "You should have taken the potion."

That certainly would have made things easier. Maybe if she had drank the potion, her relationship with Rumple could have evolved enough for them to trust each other and end the secrets, so they could have analysed the prophecy together and get to someplace where a pregnancy wouldn't be unwelcome and they could form a family.

"I couldn't," she admited, worrying at her lip. "Do you think that he will kill both of us?"

"Rumplestiltskin?" The other woman laughed weakly. "Oh, please, he would never do such a thing."

"You haven't seen how mad he was. He hates me and he hates the child. I'm afraid."

Belle had been truly frightened of Rumplestiltskin twice, first when they go married and she had no idea of who he was and second, the night he found out that she was having his baby. He was so angry that she really feared for her own life.

"You should be," Fiona warned. "But I don't think Rumplestiltskin will ever harm any of you, he would rather die than hurting someone he loves."

But he doesn't, an insistent part of her echoed in her mind, he doesn't love any of you, or he would have chosen to fight for this family. She breathed in, analysing Fiona for a second, thinking that she definitelly seemed to have too much acknowledge about the Dark One's life choices for a prisoner.

"How do you know him so well?"

"I don't," she quickly replied.

"Fiona, do you think that he might try to get rid of just the baby then?" Belle inquired, worriedly. "I've heard stories of women that drank special teas to bleed until there was no child growing inside them anymore."

At this point Belle didn't know what to expect anymore, but the idea of losing her baby made coldness settle heavy in her heart, bringing a despair she hadn't yet known. That child was important to her and she had to consider every possibility so she could prepare to defend herself if it needed be. She didn't want to believe that the man she loved was capable of doing something like this, for the sake of the baby, she had to prevent herself.

However, Fiona that so seemed to hate her when they met, was now trying to calm Belle down, her voice a sweet assurence of hope.

"I may not know Rumplestiltskin very well, I but I'm sure that he is not the kind of monster that would so such a thing. As I said, he cares for you," the prisoner guaranteed. "And anyway, you're too long into this pregnancy, the baby is already strong and if you drank something to get rid of it, you die as well."

Belle's face went pale, but she had her eyes glued on Fiona's brown ones and the pain present in there was so big that she couldn't just ignore.

"Why does that seem to hurt you so much?" The girl asked, curiously, because the ups and downs of her life weren't supposed to affect anyone but her.

"A long time ago I had a child myself, but I lost it," Fiona told her and the princess felt an enormous pity and compassion. "Care for yours, Belle, but go very far away from here in the first opportunity you have, because father and son facing each other is not something you will ever want to see."

Sighing, Belle nodded, taking the advice from mother to mother. She had to do what was best for her child, even if that meant never seeing Rumplestiltskin again.


	12. Punishment

More weeks passed as both Rumple and Belle dedicated their separate times to trying to find something that could guaranteed them that the future of their family was safe. Belle talked to Fiona more often than she could have ever imagined that she someday would and found out that the woman was incredibly kind. She showed a great concern with her and the baby, one that she couldn't quite understand, but that she appreciated now that the prisoner seemed to be the only one who cared about what happened to them.

The girl was desperate for some affection and an assurance that things would be fine, so as she watched her child grow heavier, rounding her stomach and changing her whole body, Belle begged to the gods for it to be a girl. She already loved that baby so very much, that the princess knew that she wouldn't bear losing it.

Meanwhile, Rumplestiltskin continued to fight to find the Blue Fairy. He had tried summoning her, but obviously she hadn't come, so the was left to face one last flicker of hope of getting any useful information, before he gave up and sat himself to wait, torturing himself with anxiety until Belle gave birth. Liking it or not, he had to speak to his mother at least one more time.

It took him a lot of courage to walk to her room, where Fiona was cuffed to the ground inside the magic-protected cage. He glanced at her, almost feeling pity for how weak she looked, thinking that if she wasn't his negligent mother, then he may have had mercy and freed her after that day, but she had done lots of bad things and he couldn't just let her go.

Fiona lifted her eyes to him, the same brown ones he used to have, when he was just a common man, a coward, but at least not a monster. It all changed when she came and he wished that he never really met her, because maybe then, he could have lived his little miserable mortal life and never got to meet Belle, so he would have never destroyed her life nor conceived that child he meant to abandon. His mother gave him a tiny smirk, sitting herself up.

"It's been a long time since you last came to visit your mama."

He couldn't swallow down her words, she was never a true mother to him, all she did was to ruin what was already pretty bad without her. His expression became cold, his eyes narrowing at the prisoner.

"It is all your fault," Rumplestiltskin bounced. "Every single thing I have been true it's your fault."

"We both know that this is not exactly true," Fiona said, shaking her head. "I've never meant to any of this to happen."

"And yet, it did."

A long, tired sigh left her. She no long looked like the powerful fairy he once had met, her time in there, with her magic blocked, was slowly weakening her and even though she wasn't going to die, she would still feel terribly ill.

"What do you want, Rumple?"

"You know who I seek," he replied.

"Blue," she completed, fixing her glance to on the ground. "You will never find her, my son. She grew powerful through the years."

He sucked a breath, but the oxygen didn't seem to be enough. Rumplestiltskin have never hated someone like he hated the Blue Fairy, not even his parents, for who he felt such resentment. No, that twisted woman had started all of this, she was the reason he became the Dark One and she was the very reason he feared so much the future of his own child.

"It has to be a way," the imp remarked. "She linked me to this curse and this fate, I need her magic to reverse the sittuation."

"Blue's magic can't reverse this. She might have created the path that would be your ending, but the prophecy is unpredictable and unbreakable."

Of course, he knew it, he knew from the very start and he should have never given himself the chance of starting a whole new mess. He should have declined King Maurice's call, let Avonlea fall and never set his eyes on the most beautiful princess of all the realms. His Belle, his precious little wife. Rumplestiltskin's eyes closed momentanelly when the remorse hit him again.

"Do you remember of how the Seer first told us that I would sire the child destined to kill me?" He asked his mother. "I fear my days are counted now."

"And what do you intend to do?"

"Send the baby away by the moment it is born," Rumplestiltskin shrugged and felt as if his heart was being smashed inside his chest.

His mother's eyes for wide as if she cared for what happened to that babe, what a stupid joke, he thought. Fiona cared about no one but herself, if she could move herself to even feel some kind of compassion for any person, then she would have never done the things she did. That fairy ruined her own life and dragged everyone around her together.

"Would you separate a mother from her child?" Fiona asked and this time, her voice was shaken. "Would you destroy your own wife? Let your child grow up without a father?"

"I have no choice."

"Perhaps, there is something you haven't considered yet," she whispered.

So, finally, Fiona was giving up. Finally, she was going to tell him something useful, he didn't understand why, but he knew that he needed to hear it.

"And what would that be?"

"Pay attention to the prophecy's words," Fiona adviced. "You need to be the True Love of the woman that bears this son."

Jaw-dropped, Rumplestiltskin stepped closer to the cage. She was right. The prophecy required a love pure and true, and although Belle had been pure of heart and body when they first slept together, he was pretty sure that she did not love him, otherwise he would have her trust.

"I haven't thought about that," the imp murmured.

"You are not Belle's True Love, are you?"

"No, I don't think so," he replied and the confession made him feel both lighter with the possibility of not having to depart from his child and the univitable true that just like he always thought, nobody could ever love him. "I took care of not letting her love me, so our marriage wouldn't be pure."

Fiona nodded, the sadness returning to her face as she fixed her glance on the cuffs around her wrists.

"So that is it," his mother stated. "This child is safe. I bet it isn't even a boy and you will have beautiful daughter in a couple of months."

Against his best will, Rumple's mind was filled with images of a little girl, curled auburn hair, bright blue eyes and Belle's beauty. Nothing like him, not even a small inch. She would be his wife's girl bone to bone, graceful and kind, filling his days with light. Yes, he would love her very well, buy her all of the most beautiful gowns, teach her how to spin and maybe how to use magic, so she could always protect herself, even when he wasn't around.

"A daughter..." The Dark One comtemplated. "Aye, I would like that."

Slowly a smile spreaded in Fiona's face and she nodded. "You're safe, Rumplestiltskin, my son. Your child will be safe."

And for a while he accepted that as an irrevogable truth, because he needed that hope. If Rumplestiltskin believed in that, then maybe he could do right by Belle and he could allow himself to care enough to at least make sure that she was fine.

* * *

"I swear I'm an innocent, I've never done anything wrong," the peasant midwife said, walking some steps behind him, the fear clear in her trembling voice. "Please, please let me go."

If he knew that she was going to be so stupid, he would have looked for a midwife in another village, perhaps even in another realm, where not every single being knew who he was and feared him. But he didn't have much time to think, or he would end up convincing himself that Belle didn't need any support, exactly like the voices of the previous Dark Ones kept screams at him, however for the affection he felt for his sweet little wife, he needed to do this. At least, if someone happened to her, his conscience wouldn't kill him with the guilty that he knew that would come.

Rumplestiltskin's hadn't seen her in months and he bet that by now she was already showing a huge bump, which was one of the reasons why he couldn't see her. If he did, the Dark One was pretty sure that he would fall on his knees in front of her, humiliating himself and asking for forgiveness.

"Stop this, your annoying woman!" The imp spitted at the midwife, dryly, looking over his shoulder. "I didn't bring you here to kill you, I need you to check on my wife."

Her eyes widened.

"You have a wife?"

"Yes," he answered, in a high-pitched tone, grabbing her arm and leading her through the staircase until they were standing in front of Belle's door. "Now, you'll enter her chambers and examine her. I want to be sure that she and the child are healthy."

"Oh, I - " she swallowed. "Alright, I think I can do this."

"Go," Rumplestiltskin commanded.

Nodding, the woman pushed the door open and entered the chambers, hearing it slam shut behind her, locking her in there. Mrs. Potts took a deep breath, telling herself that there was no reason for the Dark One to be lying, as everybody knew that he was very direct with everything he wanted, but there was no one in sight and it got her concerned.

"Hello?" The midwife called. "Hello, there is someone in here?"

She heard steps coming from behind her and turned around to look at an entrance that seemed to lead to some kind of closet. A woman emerged from there. Well, not a woman, but a young lass in long-sleeved winter gown, her tummy apparent in the curve of the dress.

"Rumple?" She asked before setting her eyes on the other woman. "Who are you?"

"My name is Mrs. Potts, I'm a midwife. Your husband brought me here to see if you are alright."

Her mouth opened in a perfect "o" shape, her delicate hands coming up to stroke her belly as her surprise turned into a happy smile.

"He did?" The girl asked, quite stunned. "Oh, well, I'm Belle."

"Yeah," Mrs. Potts confirmed. "Do you allow me to check on you?"

"Mm, sure."

Belle was astonished with the fact that after all this time without a word to her, Rumplestiltskin had really sent someone to see if their baby was growing healthy. That meant that he cared, that he may be afraid, but the child still had some importance for him. It was the best thing that had happened with Belle in a long time. She wasn't all alone, she realised.

There still might be a chance for them, after all. That made her indescribably happy and hopeful like she never thought she would feel again, because lately for Belle it was her against the world to protect her child, she hadn't dare to consider that Rumple would give a damn about it, not even if it was a girl, because he showed no interest in fixing things with her or just coming up to ask if she was feeling alright. But the stupid imp was just hiding his feelings as always and she was glad to know that.

The midwife approached her, looking around the room. "Please, my lady, lay on the bed."

Obeying her, Belle climbed up the bed, stretching her legs in front of herself and allowing Mrs. Potts to come closer and place both hands on her belly, pressing some places. It felt odd and as her fingers moved, she knew exactly where the babe was nestled, guessing where it could be its feet, its head, like she had done for the last couple of weeks, when she realised that the weight that was making walking a tiresome task, meant that her child was big enough to already be a completely formed person.

"Do you feel the baby moving?" The midwife inquired.

"No," she shooked her head. "Not yet."

Mrs. Potts face contracted in a frown and Belle's heart skipped a beat. She could feel deep down that it was a bad sign.

"Alright."

"Is something wrong?" Belle asked, frightened.

"I'm just checking," Mrs. Potts guaranteed, moving her hands up in a new exam that left her with cheek s burning in colour, because the midwife pressed her hands to the sides of her breasts, moving her fingers with a furrow. "Are your breasts feeling uncomfortably sensible?"

At each moment, Belle grew more desperate. First, she didn't seem happy with what she found examining her belly and now this.

"Not really," the girl replied. "I'm not liking this expression of yours. Is everything really fine?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Mrs. Potts smiled, standing up. "Well, make sure that you eat vegetables and meat, that will be good for both you and the child."

"Sure," Belle said, still not trusting her words. "Thank you, Mrs. Potts."

The midwife left the room, knowing that the lady was concerned and feeling quite preoccupied herself for what she had found out. Mrs. Potts didn't want to have to face the terrible Dark One and tell him what she had to, but she couldn't just keep it from him or, when he discovered the truth, he would seek her and kill her.

Rumplestiltskin was waiting for her outside, but he transported them to the great hall with his magic, so they could talk without any chance of Belle hearing them.

"So, is she alright?" He immediately asked

"The lady is in perfect healthy milord, but - "

"But what?"

Mrs. Potts swallowed, glancing at the floor. It wasn't an uncommon situation, as she had been acting as a midwife for a long time and had seen it a lot of times, but she knew what came next and it always hurt the same as the first woman she attended with that problem.

She knew that the tears would eventually come, the grief, but she had no idea of how the Dark One could react to this.

"I fear that you might have a stillborn child."

The imp felt as his heart had stopped, the whole world fading around him. So that was it, now he was being punished for all his crimes in the worst way ever and he asked himself if that wasn't happening because he had wished with every strength he had, that that baby had never been conceived. It would be better if it didn't exist, he had told himself, many, many times. But now, he regretted it.

"Gods..."

"It doesn't move inside her womb and she is already swollen enough to feel the babe turning and kicking, but she claims to feel nothing. And I believe her body is not producing any milk to feed it too," Mrs. Potts sighed. "I think the child can be dead inside her."


	13. A Tale Of Pain

_**Warning:** if you feel sensible over child's death and are not willing to read anything related to it, please, do not follow with this chapter._

* * *

Rumplestiltskin had been facing fear a lot lately, just like he was dealing constantly with remorse, buy nothing had felt so wrecking as it was feeling now. He had wiped Mrs. Potts memories and sent her away, but he couldn't find the courage he needed to enter Belle's tower. His heart was pieces inside his chest and he blamed himself for what happened.

The Dark One knew that he couldn't take Belle's reaction when he told her that the child was dead. If it was hurting him so much, then it was going to destroy her and if it was really true, Rumple needed to prepare some potions for her, to induze her to labour and take off the child from inside her, otherwise it would cause her an infection and he would lose her too. Later thinking, while he was mixing ingredients inside his cauldron, the imp concluded that maybe it wasn't a wise idea to send Mrs. Potts away, but he had magic and he could assist Belle with everything she needed to make sure she would be fine.

After the potions where finished, he took some long breaths, knowing that the quicker he did it, the faster it all would be over. Rumple would have to approach his wife just enough to touch her belly and confirm there was no life inside her anymore, then he would prepare her bed, put her on a nightgown, give her the right tea and hold her hand the whole time. He never that something could make him feel so nauseous, but the truth was that he was as sick as he never had been ever since he became the Dark One.

When things were over, he needed to remember to pick a strand of Belle's hair so he could check one last thing. He would mix their essences and if it showed that they weren't True Love, then he would keep her around and help her to heal, but if they were, he would send her away, back to her father's home, so they would never have the chance of concieving another child again and the prophecy would never complete itself.

He walked towards her door, too broken to even attempt to use his magic. Rumplestiltskin grabbed the door's knob, taking off the spell that kept it locked and slid the door open, finding Belle sat by the desk, writing something in a little journal. His breath got caught on his throat when she turned around, a tiny smile appearing in her beautiful pinkish lips and seeing her in profile made his heart race, because it accentuated the curve of her belly, where one of her hands were tenderly pressed at.

She looked beautiful, more stunning than ever, the long cerulean gown matching her gorgeous eyes. Belle stood up, stunned and he tried to memorize every line of her sweet features. He understood that he was never going to be able to forgive himself for locking her in that tower for so long, the duration of a pregnancy in which he hadn't been involved.

"Hey," he finally muttered.

"Rumple..." Belle savoured the syllables of his name, feeling tears plucking at her eyes. "Hey."

Wanting nothing more than to reach for her and pull Belle into his embrace, Rumplestiltskin had to control himself to not step closer. She seemed so healthy and gloriously shiny he could barely believe that something was wrong. Her stomach was full and round, like a strong babe rested in there, but according to the midwife, it was only appearances.

Swallowing hard, he asked: "Are you alright?"

"I am," she smiled, softly. "You?"

The imp nodded, wordlessly, wondering how she could be so kind with him after everything he did and said to her. He watched as Belle slipped to the bed, leaning against the pillows with a sigh of contentment, petting her belly very gently. She loved that baby and anticipating her heartbreak most nearly killed him.

"Can we talk?"

"Of course," she agreed, tapping the place right beside her, "come here."

"No," he said, shaking his head, not wanting to give them the chance of getting any closer for now. "I think it is better if we keep the distance."

Belle waved her head understandably. Her eyes dropped to her stomach and she started to trace circles on it through the fabric of her gown.

"Alright," the girl said, slightly distracted, not allowing her eyes to meet his, this time. "What do you want to talk about?"

Rumple needed to confess so many things for her and the potions seemed to be burning him through the leather of his waistcoat. He didn't know how he could even start to tell her that when she give birth, she would never see their baby's eyes flowing open, hear it crying or have the chance of raising it. The imp couldn't do it, at least, not yet, so he pulled up a chair and took a seat, starting with sometimes that would hurt less.

"I believe we haven't been honest with each other and I need you to understand it all."

"You're talking about the prophecy?"

"Aye," Rumplestiltskin's confirmed, rubbing his fists against his weary eyes. "The prophecy, of course, and I."

Sleep hadn't come for him in the previous night, and he had barely closed his eyes in much of the others, during the last few months. He was tired, sad and concerned, but when Belle lifted her glance to him with a grin curving her lips, he felt himself get his strength back, because he was there for her and only her mattered.

"Well," she started, "I would like very much to hear it all."

The truth was that he didn't know where to start or what to tell her, so he thought it was a good idea to start with a story, after all, she always cherished them. He tried to get comfortable in the chair, joined hands and let his gaze fix on his beautiful wife as he started.

"A long time ago, a fairy fell in love with a man. He was a poor unfortunate soul that had nothing in life, but this forbidden relationship, that should have never happened, because the fairies should be pure beings and never be love anyone."

"This sounds unfair," she interrupted, biting down her lip.

The girl seemed so concerned with a random story that it was quite amusing for him to watch her expressions changing and almost made him forget about what he has come there for in first place.

"Life is unfair with everyone, Belle."

"Yeah," she nodded, "I guess it is."

"Well, anyway," he continued, "after some time, the fairy found herself with child and she knew that she would be expelled and destitute from her powers, so she planned to run away with her love and child, but it never happened. The Blue Fairy, the one that commands all of the others discovered her plans and cursed the man making him look very young again and sending him to an island that he wouldn't be able to leave until the fairy he loved redeemed herself."

A whole new concept about fairies formed in her mind. For that book she had read, Belle already knew that they weren't exactly the best creatures in the realm, like most people believed, but hearing this new story from Rumple, made her decide that they were definitely no good. Now she never wanted her child to have a fairy godmother, because she thought it to be a dangerous thing.

Caressing the sides of her belly, Belle asked: "And what about her and the baby?"

"Blue took the child away, leaving him on the doorstep of three lonely sisters that raised him, and was sent to a horrible placed called the Dark Realm, she got her wings cut out and wasn't able to break free from there for years."

"This is terrible," she muttered, almost in tears.

Her compassion was inspiring and he wanted to pull her closer, hide his face on the curve of her neck and lose himself in her arms. He wanted to cry, tell her how much he was sorry and how much he felt like he could do anything to make her happy. If he could, he would exchange his own life, to safe their child.

But instead he kept in place, breathing hard and fighting against the tears as he confessed: "The babe, it was me."

Immediately she tried to reach for him, leaning forward in an attempt to bring herself up, but falling to the pillows again, moved by the weight of her belly. He lifted a hand, gesturing for her to stop and saw Belle taking a sharp breath of discomfort.

"Oh, Rumple - "

"I had a miserable life of cowardice, Belle and I was led to take the power of the Dark One by the same woman that separated my parents."

"The Blue Fairy," she bounced. "So, your mother is the Yellow one, right? I've read about this a while ago."

The imp had no idea where she could have found a book with that kind of information, but he hadn't checked every title his magic brought to her library and his wife was always thirsty for acknowledgement, so he was sure that she wouldn't always be reading light romances and childish adventures. Belle gathered wisdom and someday, he knew that she was meant to be one of the most intelligent women in that realm.

"Yeah," he continued, a shy smile of proud lifting one corner of his lips, "but now she is known as the Black Fairy."

"I'm so sorry this happened to you," Belle said. "You didn't deserve any of this."

"I was a poor commoner for a great part of my life, a spinner. I kept a simple, quiet life, until the Ogres' War came and I was forced to go to the front lines," Rumplestiltskin told her, stopping for a moment as the memories filled his mind, bringing him back to those horrible days. "I was so scared that I injured myself to be send home. People called me terrible things, but I didn't care for it, what I cared for was seeing as they took children to fight and die in a lost cause."

Belle wasn't sure why he decided to share that story with her, but she knew that it cleared a lot about him. Rumple had a bad past, a terrible one and she only wanted him to understand they could have a good future. But now she was aware of how much his fear dominated him.

"This only gets worse," she murmured.

"Much worse," the imp agreed. "One day a woman knocked on my door, asking for shelter. I took her in, let her become my friend and then, I got out one night to get water for her and met this man that offered me the powerful to save the whole village and become a hero. As foolish as I was, I took it, linking my life to this dagger and the fate written in the prophecy."

With a sigh of despair, Belle finally slip off the bed, walking towards him and seeing how anxious he appeared to be, when he realised that she was coming closer.

"Oh, my dear husband..."

"Blue sent him there, because she found out that the woman I had taken under my wing was my own mother," he kept saying, almost involuntarily. "To punish her, she ruined me."

His eyes got wide when she kneeled in front of him. The imp wanted to tell her to stand, because she should never seem smaller than him and she shouldn't be doing such a thing when she was in such a delicate condition, but he realised that it would be pointless, both because he knew that she wouldn't hear and because that pregnancy was already over, even if she didn't know it yet.

"Rumplestiltskin, look at me," she commanded and her warm palms came to rest on his face. "Whatever the future brings, I want to be with you. Please, let me be with you."

Rumple knew what was coming next, but he was weak enough to let her approach anyway, holding his face in hands and pulling him into a kiss. He couldn't help himself when his hands moved to splay on her back and his body bent to help her up, and he slid Belle easily to his lap, lips dancing against hers as her body pressed to his. The imp felt the curve of her belly against his own and it was like a shock of reality for him.

Dropping a hand, her let it stroke at her tummy, the magic working in his fingers in a desperate attempt to find life, but there was any. The only bursting heat he could feel was Belle's, which meant that their baby was long gone. A sob attention to escape his mouth at the realisation and he departed from his wife's mouth, petting her hair as she looked at him so full of a hope that was soon to be destroyed.

"Belle, sweetheart, I need to tell you something," he said, slightly breathless. "It's about the child."

"The child?" She questioned, looking down at the hand he still kept on her belly.

Joining hers right above him, she smiled, but he caught her chin between two fingers, making her look back at him and the serious expression in Rumple's face caused it to disappear.

"My love," he murmured as gently as she could, "the babe doesn't move and it should be moving."

"It will. Soon we will be able to feel it kicking strongly."

Her faith was beautiful and he felt a bastard for being the one to wreck it, but there was no one else to tell her this and if he didn't do it quickly she might get ill.

"No, sweetheart, we won't," Rumple said in a shaken voice, his nervous hands stroking her skin. "Belle, my darling, the child is dead."

She blinked. Once. Twice. Then the tears came, falling down her cheeks as he watched her chest raise and fall very fast, just like if she was having a lack of air to breath. Belle shooked her head repeatedly, refusing herself to accept what he just said, assuring herself that it must be a cruel joke, or a dark desire of his heart, anything, but not the truth.

"No," she yelled at him, standing up on her feet. "It's growing and it's getting bigger."

"Belle - " the Dark One tried to start.

"It can't be."

Her cheeks were getting red, just like her neck, her hands shielding her belly. Rumple rose on his feet, walking towards her with the pain marked in each line of his face, cupping her shoulders and looking at her watery eyes.

"My magic confirmed it," he bounced.

Shaking her head repeatedly, Belle errupted in a mess of sobs, finally giving up and drowing into his embrace, pressing her face against his shoulder.

"Please, please, no..."

"Oh, my love," Rumple murmured, "I'm so sorry."

This time, however his words didn't seem to help in anything and just angered her who suddenly pulled away. The grief was too strong, overwhelming her, but the hate she felt for her husband had a great impact too. She could barely believe that he was pretending to be moved by the death of that baby when he never showed any interest in it.

"You're not sorry. That's what you wanted."

"I - " Rumplestiltskin swallowed. "I never wanted this to happen!"

"You did. You said you never wanted a child, then you locked me here," Belle screamed, trembling and felling like her legs could betray her at any time and make her fall to the floor, but still gathering strength to keep shouting out at Rumple, because her pain was too big and she needed someone to be guilty. "This is your fault."

"It's not," he murmured, never before sounding so weak.

The truth was that he actually agreed with her. Rumplestiltskin was blaming himself for this, blaming himself for having lost the whole pregnancy, when his child was still alive and growing inside his love's womb. He didn't watch her body change as his seed transformed into a pretty wee babe, he didn't take care of her when she felt sick. He wasn't the father he was meant to be, just a coward fearing a fate that eventually would happen anyway.

"My baby..." Belle sobbed. "My beautiful innocent child."

"Oh, darling," Rumple mumbled, trying to reach for her again, but his wife stepped back.

"Please, don't touch me."

He nodded, not daring to do anything that would make her feel worst right now, because that was the last thing he wanted. His beautiful Belle was already suffering enough.

"We need - " he started and had to take a deeper breath to continue. "We need to take it off."

"What?"

"I've made you a potion," Rumple explained. "Drink everything, then lay down and wait until it makes its work. Then I'll give you something for the pain and you shall feel nothing until you're empty again."

Sniffling Belle finally understood what he was trying to say. He wanted to free her from the child, but she had no strength to do it now, she hadn't even accepted the fact that she wasn't going to have a baby to take care of anymore.

"I don't want it."

"You need to take it, Belle, otherwise you will get an infection and die."

"Let me die, then," she sighed. "Which reasons do I have to live? You don't like me and you will keep me a prisoner for the rest of my days and now, my sweet baby is gone."

If he had been stabbed with the dagger right in his heart, the Dark One was pretty sure that it would hurt way less than her words. Rumple felt the tears plucking in his eyes, making his vision blurry and he felt when one of them slid down his green-gold cheek. He couldn't take it; he simply just couldn't let her go, not this way, not when he knew that he life was going to end forever and he would never hear her laugh again or be graced with her kindness. No, he couldn't live in a world where Belle didn't exist. Knowing that they had lost a child was killing him and he couldn't bear any more suffering.

"Take it," Rumplestiltskin begged, approaching her just enough so he could close her fingers around the tiny bottle he had taken from his coat's pocket. "Please, don't force me to watch the only person I've ever loved die. It is already hurting enough."

Belle's lip trembled, she seemed to want to say something, but then, she changed her mind. The girl felt like she could very well just wait for the time to take her to the endless night, then maybe she could see her mother again and maybe she could be with her child, but it was the look in Rumple's eyes that finished shattering her heart in the tiniest pieces ever. She didn't understand any of his twisted feelings and thoughts, but she could see that he was sad too, so she did the brave thing, opened the lid of the bottle and drank it all, swallowing a sob next as she climbed up the bed and laid on her left side, caressing her stomach in an infinity rhythm.

He approached her, brushing his lips on her temple and letting another tear fall on her face.

"Leave me alone," Belle asked weakly.

"But - "

"You weren't here when this child was alive," she said harshly. "You don't deserve to see its face."

His eyes closed for a brief white and he nodded, even though she wasn't seeing the movement, them, he ran a hand through her hair in what seemed to be a last gest of care, but was actually a way of getting a strand, before he disappeared in a purple cloud of smoke, leaving Belle alone to the pains of her body and her soul.


	14. Still

_**Warning:** This chapter is even worse than the previous one, so you know, read at your own risk._

* * *

It took Rumple everything he had to not come back to Belle's chambers five minutes after he left. His heart was beating madly fast, it felt hard to think straight and he sat in his laboratory for a long time simply facing the walls and remembering about the things his wife said to him before he left. If she didn't hate him before, then she certainly hated him now, which made him remember that he still had a strand of her hair between his fingers.

The imp made flourish and an empty bottle appear, dropping the strand inside there and picking one from his own hair, letting it enlace with hers before he allowed his magic to work. Rumplestiltskin watched with wide eyes as the strands started to glow purple, proving that what he felt for Belle was more than a simply temporary passion, it was true and it was mutual.

A sob erupted from the back of his throat. He had ruined his True Love's life, overshadowed her light, being cruel and heartless with her and now he regretted it with all of his soul, but it had no coming back. Rumple imagined that she should be still laying in her bed, weeping while the pain rip through her body, knowing that in the end there would be nothing to be happy about.

His greatest wish was to stay by her side, but he was going to respect her will and let her go through this alone, then Rumple would heal her and send her away, so he could make sure that he wasn't going to be the cause of any suffering in her life again. The Dark One grabbed a parchment, wrote a quickly note in it and rolled the paper down, summoning a bird to send it.

Finding it impossible to keep another minute in that lab, just waiting for the inevitable, Rumplestiltskin decided that he should prepare everything, so Belle could leave to her father's castle as soon as possible. He used his magic to transport himself to his mother's room at the secret tower, finding her looking even worse than the last time he had appeared there.

"Hello, my son," Fiona said with a weak smile.

"I came here to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" She inquired arching an eyebrow for him. "You want to make a deal with me?"

As surprising as it sounded for her, it was twice as unexpectable for him, but Fiona was one of his most valuable paws and her magic was blocked, so he knew that she would do anything to gain it back and now, there was something he wanted her to do that might be worth exchanging for her freedom.

"Yes," the imp confirmed. "It's very simple. I'll free you, but you will serve Belle as her maid until she follows with her life, then you can go away to wherever you want."

Fiona blinked, stupefied and confused.

"What do you mean with follow with her life?"

"If she gets married again or if she decides to travel, or whatever she wants," he explained, with a painful sigh. "I'm sending her back to her father."

It was clear in his mother's face that she didn't understand what he was intending to do, and if he was being positive, Rumple could even say that he found traces of concern in her young face.

"Why?"

"The child she was expecting is dead," he confessed.

"Oh, Rumple - "

"Don't," the Dark One, warned, knowing that her words couldn't possibly make him any good. "Do we have a deal or not?"

Her pale lips tightened in a thin line, her brown eyes scanning his face with pity, because she knew that even though he was trying to hide his feelings behind the many walls he created around himself, it was still very clear that it was hurting him. And Fiona knew the pain of losing a child. She was aware that it never truly healed no matter how many time passed.

"We do," she murmured.

"I'll come back to free you," Rumplestiltkin nodded, "once Belle is strong enough to walk again."

He had barely started to lift his hand up to vanish from there when Fiona made a sudden move, approaching the bars as much as the chains that linked her cuffs with the floor, allowed.

"Was it a boy?" His mother asked.

"I don't know, I haven't seen it. Belle expelled me from her chambers just a while ago. I don't even know if the baby is already out."

"Go stay by her side."

Oh, she had no idea of how much he wished he could do so, but his wife strictly said that she didn't want him any near to her, that she didn't even wish him to see their child.

"Belle doesn't want me there," Rumple whispered.

Shaking her head, Fiona seemed to be fighting against tears. There was a strange shine in her eyes that remembered him a lot of the reflection of unshed tears about to fall.

"Of course, she does. She is angry with you right now, but Belle needs someone to hold her hand and give her a shoulder to cry," his mother advised. "Stay with your wife, Rumple, or you might never forgive yourself."

Swallowing, he needed to admit to himself that she right. The Dark One would only be a greatest coward if he didn't take the risk and stood by Belle in this moment. And the grief wasn't only hers, it was his too and he would see his child even if just for once.

Rumple was about to leave, when he glanced back to Fiona and added: "You were wrong. We are True Love, after all."

* * *

Between her sobs, Belle felt her body start to ache, she muffled her cries of pain against the pillow, the sheets beneath her getting wet with blood and other fluids. A pressure started to push, bringing the baby down and she allowed the tears to fall free from her eyes as she made the needed efforts to help the child to slip off of her body, all alone in that room, only the echo of her screams as a company.

Then, when she exhaustedly picked a towel and wrapped the tiny baby around it Belle felt like someone was smashing her heart tightly. It didn't move, nor breathed, it was like holding a doll, but a heavier and warmer one. A darling baby girl. Belle brought her close to her chest cradling that perfect small being and just wishing there was life in that body.

"Oh, you are beautiful. So beautiful," she murmured for her daughter, her tears falling to the towel. "Give mama a cry, please? Just a little breath, maybe?"

But there was nothing. Belle felt empty now and the child in her arms was lifeless. Her shoulders were shaking with sobs as she started to mumble a lullaby, running her fingers through her daughter's little arms, spotting her own skin with blood. She was so distracted that she didn't notice when a purple cloud of smoke brought Rumplestiltskin to the chambers.

His breath got caught on his throat when he glanced at her in the bed. Belle was a mess, sweat covering her skin and damping the hair near her face; at some point she should have managed to stand up and took off her dress because now she was only wearing a long-sleeved nightgown, which's lower part was covered by blood. The imp could see the remains of the birth resting in the dirty bedcovers in the space between her legs, but what made him gasp a little was the vision of a fluffy bath towel wrapping some pinkish think in his wife's arms.

"Belle," he almost sobbed. "Oh, sweetheart..."

She quickly glanced at him, but seeming to be bewitched by the dead baby, her eyes turned back at it after just a short instant. The white cord still linked the baby to the mess in the bed and Rumple approached his wife making a scissors appear in his hand right before he picked the cord and let it to cut, but he stopped when the Dark One received a wild, angry glare from Belle.

"It's alright, it won't hurt," he told her in a low tone before finally making the cut and waving his hand to let it all disappear, leaving her in a clean bed with clean clothes and clean skin. "See? Now that mess is gone. Do you allow me to sit by your side?"

Her nod was very slightly and one without his perception could have missed it, but Rumplestiltskin didn't, so he slid to her side, passing an arm around her shoulders and taking a first real look at his child. It was rather small, has its eyes closed and almost no hair on the top of its head.

"You know, your fears were useless," Belle said bitterly. "It's a girl."

"My darling Belle, I'm sorry," he answered, eyes filling with tears and voice sounding weak. The imp conjured a cloth damp with water and gave it to his wife. "Here, clean our wee one."

Taking it from him, Belle slowly ran the cloth through their daughter's face, taking the blood away and leaving her with a cream coloured skin do show to them.

"She is sleeping, you see?" Belle asked, almost delusional. "Such a good baby girl."

His poor beloved wife was letting the madness of the moment take her and he wished that he could do something, anything to fix this. She was right all the way, his fears were stupid and he lost the joy of seeing her truly happy while the baby still lived.

"Are you feeling well?"

"I feel nothing at all," Belle replied.

"Can I hold our daughter?"

Her big blue eyes blinked for what seemed to be the first time ever since he appeared in room and she directed her narrowed gaze to him.

"Why would you want to do this? You never wanted children."

"I was a fool," Rumple immediately said. "I love her too, Belle."

The girl sighed, but he was touched to hear those words coming from him so she decided that he really deserved a second chance and lifted the small bundle to lay it in his unskilled arms.

"Be careful," Belle bounced.

A bittersweet smile spread through Rumplestiltskin's lips when he felt the light weight of his daughter's body in his arms. Such a perfect little thing, lucky enough to not inherit his awful looks.

"The tiniest baby I have ever seen," the imp whispered to his wife. "She would be beautiful like you."

Belle worried at her lip and couldn't help herself but to ask: "How long does it take for them to breath after they are born?"

"They need to breath immediately, don't give yourself any hopes."

"But your magic could awake her, right?" She insisted. "You could make her move and cry and..."

"Belle," Rumple interrupted her, "magic always has a price and reliving the dead is something out of my reach."

It probably was panic that was growing cold inside her chest making it difficult to breath. Belle was waiting for a miracle or a magic solution that could make her child open those little eyelids and test its lungs, but deep down she knew that it wasn't going to happen. But at each passing second it only got more concrete and she felt like she was dying slowly.

"Give her back to me," the girl demanded. "I want to hold my baby."

"Sweetheart, you should rest and let me take her away."

"No," Belle stated, taking the baby from her husband and cradling her gently. "She is mine and you won't do this."

"Belle, please, my love I know that it hurts, but it's time to let her go."

Her lower lip trembled and new tears fell from her eyes, falling directly to the baby's face.

"She doesn't even have a name," Belle murmured.

"Would you like to name her?"

"Colette," she pronounced. "Because my mother will take care of her for me now."

"Aye, they will be together."

Rumplestiltskin finally got to take the baby girl from his wife's arms and she pressed a kiss to her own fingers, laying them on Colette's temple next.

"Mama loves you very much, my darling."

"Yeah," the imp agreed, "and papa loves you too."

* * *

Belle curled herself in ball under the bedcovers, still weeping a little, however without strength to do anything but let the tears fall silently from her eyes. Rumple came back after some moments, with a tray on his hands.

"I brought a tea for you," he offered, but she shooked her head, letting him know that this was the last thing she wanted.

"Where is Colette?"

"In the laboratory," the imp explained. "I'll bury her later."

He slipped to the bed at her side, pulling her closer and hugging her from behind, one arm wrapped around her still swollen belly.

"Can you put roses on her grave?" Belle asked.

"Yes, anything you wish."

Then, they slept in each other's arms.

* * *

She woke feeling sore in the next day. Everything hurt, but mostly her head and spine, and when she groped the sheets by her side in an attempt to find Rumple's warm body, she found the bed empty an immediately sit up, finding him sat by her desk.

"How are you feeling today?" He asked.

"I would like you to stop asking me this, when you know that I'm clearly not fine?" She returned, harshly moving out of the bed and going to the closet just to find it empty. "Where are my dresses?"

"I packed them," Rumplestiltskin answered.

He should be kidding, she thought, but there was nothing in sight but the gown he made appear in the bed for her. Belle grabbed the first layer and started to put it on.

"Packed?"

"I've sent a letter to your father yesterday," he said. "There is a retinue outside to pick you."

And that was how it ended. She should have seen it coming, but at this point Belle didn't know what to expect from him anymore. Gods, she had just given birth to his child and he was already expelling her from his home, he wouldn't even wait to show her where the baby was buried, he simply didn't want to see her anymore.

Thinking herself to be a fool, Belle kept dressing, fighting against the tears.

"You're sending me back," she concluded aloud. "Sure, why would you want me after all? Now I look like a swollen pig, so you couldn't desire me, my child is dead and I probably never even stand my company."

Rumplestiltskin didn't even know how she could assume that. He loved her so very much and that wouldn't be a day in which he didn't desire her, not even now that she was still very affected by her pregnancy. She was still beautiful to his eyes, but he wasn't going to ruin his plans by telling her this.

"I'm sending a maid with you," the imp said, instead.

"I don't want anything you can possibly give," Belle replied, closing the laces of her maternity bodice, since none of the others would ever fit now.

"I know, but you'll take it anyway, because I've already sent her to your retinue."

"Alright," she shooked her head angrily. "I just... I never thought you would break a deal. We made a vow for each other, one that linked us for the whole eternity."

His eyes fixed on hers but he didn't stand up to reach for her touch like he wished to do.

"Sometimes eternity lasts shorter than expect," Rumple muttered. "It was good to know you, Belle. I'll never forget about what we had."

"Well, I pray for the gods for them to allow me to forget," she answered, her eyes becoming watery again. "The only thing related to you that I want to remember about is my daughter's face. Goodbye Rumplestiltskin."

Turning around, Belle left the room, heading out of the Dark Castle, knowing that she would probably never see that place again.


	15. Fairy Incantation

Belle kept looking back at the castle at each step. Once before, she had also walked away from the with the certainty that she was not coming back, but she did, because what she felt for Rumple was impossible to ignore and she wanted him more than the princess ever wanted anything else. But now he had not just broken her heart, but their vow too and sending her back to her father was the final move he needed to do to in fact end their marriage.

He couldn't have done it in a worst moment. Belle's grieve was very fresh and she had no idea how she was still breathing after everything she had been through, but couldn't do anything to fix what was broken now, all she knew was that in this castle she had loved and lost too much things. Unfortunately, all she had left to do was move on, so she kept walking to the carriage that was waiting for her, seeing the knights' expression of surprise when they realised that she was crying and still looking pregnant.

One of them offered her a hand to help Belle enter the carriage and she accepted it, settling herself inside, right in front of someone she wasn't expecting to see there.

"Fiona?"

"Believe me," the woman said, toying with the sleeves of her brown gown. "I'm as surprised as you are, but Rumplestiltskin offered me a great deal to accompany you, so I'm not complaining."

A deal, of course, because the Dark One couldn't free anyone out of the goodness in his heart, which Belle was starting to question herself if he truly had hidden in a small spot of his soul. Her gaze fixed in her stupid swollen belly, empty but yet making her look fat, before her eyes closed and she leaned her head against the window's frame.

"Yeah, good for you," Belle murmured bitterly.

Fiona reached to touch her knee, causing the girl to jump, startled. Belle wasn't waiting for any contact from the ex-prisoner and in that moment, it was the last thing she wanted. Even though a part of her wished she had a shoulder to cry on, Belle was pretty sure that Fiona was one of the last persons she would look for when she needed to weep.

"I've already heard about what happened," the dark-haired woman murmured emphatically, as the carriage slowly started to move, leaving the Dark Castle behind, "and I'm truly sorry."

"I just - " she started unsure of what to say, before opting for ending the conversation. "I don't want to talk about this right now."

Nodding, Fiona leaned back against her seat. "It's alright, I understand."

Closing her eyes again, Belle felt a new pain on her back as if someone was stabbing her spine and she curled herself the best she could in the small space of the carriage, wishing nothing more than to fall asleep, because in her dreams she could have what she was never going to get in real life. The family she lost, living adventures through the most different and amazing realms.

* * *

The trip to Avonlea took five days. Belle had never realised how distant it was from the Dark Castle as when she moved there, Rumple had used his magic to transport them to the tower that had been hers for so long. Now, however as she saw home again, she actually felt the impact of the distance, because the man she loved was anywhere near there and it made her feel bad. But how Belle could still love him after everything, was a mystery even for herself.

She allowed Fiona to help her getting out of the carriage and followed the retinue to the throne's room, where she found her father waiting impatiently for her arrival. When he saw her, King Maurice immediately threw his arms around his daughter's petite form, hugging her tight.

"Belle!"

"Oh papa, I've missed you," she cried against his chest. "I've missed you so much!"

Maurice departed from her, cupping his daughter's shoulders to get a better look at her, see if the time apart had changed something in Belle and when his eyes dropped to her middle section a gasp left his mouth.

"Darling, you're with child," the king said, horrified.

"No, at least not anymore," Belle answered. "I gave birth to a stillborn some days ago."

Those words still caused her pain. She couldn't actually believe it all happened for real, everything seemed like a distant nightmare now, but if she concentrated enough, Belle could still feel the soft weight of her daughter's body in her arms. Colette. So sweet and so little. Belle would have loved her very much and she would have been spoiled, Belle would braid her hair, read her stories, taught her to write, sing lullabies for her to sleep, everything she had been planning for the last months and it hurt too much to know none of this was ever going to happen.

"My poor girl," Maurice whined. "I should have never promised your hand in marriage to that beast."

"It's alright, papa, I'm here now and everything will be fine," Belle guaranteed him, even though she didn't believe it herself. "From this marriage came my beautiful daughter and I don't regret it, I just wish she was here with us, alive and well."

Giving her a look of pity, the king appeared to be wordless. Belle knew that he was regretting his own decisions, pondering what he could have done to save his kingdom, instead of making a deal with the Dark One, but both of them were pretty aware that if wasn't for Rumplestiltskin's magic, Avonlea would have fallen long ago and their people would be dead. However, Belle was really telling him the truth, she didn't regret the time she spent with the imp, although she was pretty sure that the wounds he left in her heart were never truly going to heal.

She watched as her father's eyes wandered around the room, focusing in anything but her own until her found someone that made his eyebrows narrow in confusion.

"Who is this woman?"

"This is my new maid, Fiona," Belle explained. "She will serve me from now on."

Fiona bowed to him, giving Maurice a sweet smile, but not even this could make his frown disappear.

"Very well," the king bounced, before stroking his daughter's cheek with the lines of his face softening. "Why don't you take a nap before joining me for dinner?"

That not just sounded tempting, but also was exactly what Belle needed. Her legs still felt weak, the pain on her back persisted and the relief of the unconsciousness was something she was taking with arms wide open.

"Yeah, I would like that," Belle grinned weakly.

Her father deposited a kiss to the top of her head, then allowing Fiona to accompany the princess to her old chambers, the same where she slept for a great part of her life. But there, in her childhood room, Belle wasn't able to sleep and all she did for hours was to cry.

* * *

Watching the retinue leaving the castle was something wrecking for Rumplestiltskin and he remained in Belle's chambers for a long time after she left, walking around there, looking at the things she left behind. A book opened on the desk, a feather and a blank parchment on the table at the library, some ink dropped in the wooden surface, the magic necklace he gave her place beside it.

From now on she would only be a memory, a ghost haunting his days and remembering him of what they almost had. Not that he wasn't already used to regret and loneliness, but something told Rumple that this time it was going to be way worst. Which made him remember that he already had things to do, after all he had promised Belle he would fill their child's grave with roses.

He walked out of the tower, heading to his laboratory where he had left his daughter in the night prior, unable to convince himself to bury her immediately. Of course, the imp didn't want to do it now too, but he had to, so he pushed the door open holding a breath and feeling his hands get shaken as he walked towards the table near the windows. A small glassy coffin was placed there, and just the view if it made Rumplestiltskin's stomach clench painfully with despair.

"Hello, baby girl," he murmured to Colette, taking another shaken step in the direction of the table, gasping when he noticed something he wasn't expecting to see there. The glass was diminished. "What the - "

His words died as his heart started beating faster and he opened the lid of the coffin, daring to touch his daughter's little forehead. Another gasp left him. It wasn't cold, like it was supposed to, but warm as his own skin. He moved Colette's arms and they were flaccid and soft instead of rigid, but his magic still didn't find any trace of life in her.

Picking the babe up, Rumplestiltskin brought his ear to her chest and it was very low and slow, but he heard the beats of her tiny heart. She was frozen, he understood, frozen in time, not growing and not doing anything by herself, but alive.

"You're breathing," he concluded feeling his eyes fill with tears. "Oh, sweet baby, you're not lost."

His powers couldn't feel it, because whatever was freezing the child, seemed to be shielded against his magic and made every little thing that worked on Colette's body very difficult to be noticed, but it was still there. His daughter wasn't dead.

"My love, papa will find out what is happening to you, then he will save you and bring your mama back," Rumplestiltskin whispered. "I promise."

* * *

It was already very late when Belle finally feel asleep after a nice dinner with her father. Fiona watched out for her, just like she told her son that she would do, but she eventually needed some time alone, all by herself. She went to the garden, admiring how beautiful it was and trying remember when was the last time she saw something as gorgeous as this.

Back when she was a fairy, Fiona had travelled around the realm, being to wonderful castles, protected many people and spread kindness wherever she went and a part of her always missed this part of her life. She remembered the night she met Malcolm in tiny village she had gone to so she could help a sad little girl. He was handsome, gentle and for the first time she was selfish and thought about herself instead of the others.

In that night Fiona didn't wish to go back to the fairies' place, all she wanted to do was to have a normal mortal life in which she could grown old like the humans, fall in love without any guilty, but she had to go back, just promising the most interesting man she had ever met that she would soon come back. And that she did for many, many months until she found herself with child with running away as the only option to not just escape the terrible fate that waited for her with the fairies but to also chase down her dreams.

However now she was there in this tiny kingdom of Avonlea taking care of her son's only True Love and knowing that very far away from there, he was suffering. Fiona sighed, closing her night-vest more tightly around her body as she wandered around the garden, breathing in the cold air of the night, thinking about how terrible Rumple should be feeling all alone in his enormous home, remembering about the sound of Belle's sniffles as she cried herself to sleep and wondering how her granddaughter would look like if she had had the chance of living, when a very well-known voice called from behind her.

"I never thought I would see you out of that cage again."

"Blue," she said behind clenched teeth, turning around to face the fairy that had destroyed her life.

The last time they saw each other, Blue was taking her new-born son from her arms and throwing her through a portal to the Dark Realm. Now Blue stood there in her ridiculous dress which's skirt had a strange oval form, the locks of her short hair being adorned by colourful ribbons.

"How is life treating you, Fiona?" The fairy asked with a wicked grin of satisfaction, approaching her like a snake about to attack. "The rumours of your recent loss have already reached me and I thought I could come to say how much I'm sorry."

Fiona's heart skipped a beat. She was experienced in reading people's expressions and the one in Blue's now was anything but sorrowful.

"No, you're not. I can't see it in your eyes. You are enjoying," she spitted, at the fairy. "How can you possibly be happy with something like this?"

"That was my plotting," Blue shrugged.

Her words were swallowed dryly by Fiona. That was the last thing she was expecting to hear on that night, she was so sad for her son and daughter-in-law, but she could have never imagined that a fairy could declare herself guilty of what happened.

"What?"

"You know how much I hate when people get to my things, right?" The fairy asked. "But well, Pink accidentally picked the prophecy's parchment and read it. She made a new interpretation and I realised that I had wronged myself this whole time, so I couldn't allow the prophecy to complete itself."

The prophecy, of course. But what else could be taken from it apart from the obvious? Fiona always knew that part of Blue's punishment for her trying to search her happiness was to use the Dark One's curse and its prophecy to kill her son, so she didn't understand why the fairy would change her plans now.

"Why? I thought that was what you wanted!"

"Because, Fiona that would ruin everything," Blue complained. "So, I entered Belle's chambers while she was in the library and poisoned her tea."

Oh, Belle, poor, innocent, sweet Belle. She didn't deserve any of this and nor did the baby girl she had been carrying. Fiona realised that everything was her fault, that her actions in the past not only caused pain to her son, but also to the people he loved the most and it made her want to cry and destroy things all at the same time.

"You killed my grandchild?" Fiona gasped, taking a step into the fairy's direction and slapping her right in the face. "It was only a baby! And it wasn't even a boy."

Blue touched her now pinkish cheek with a look of annoyance. The rage ran through her veins and if her magic wasn't blocked, Fiona could have dived into the darkness a little bit more and killed the bitch.

"Oh, you were a fairy once and you know that I can't kill anyone without automatically losing my powers."

"But - " Fiona tried to start.

"A sleeping curse, that will never be broken," Blue explained. "Now Rumplestiltskin and Belle are apart and the prophecy will never be complete too."

Sure, that selfish witch only though about her own interests, but Fiona could not have her magic in the moment, but she was going to make sure that Blue payed for what she did. She knew how to break a sleeping curse and she would tell it to Belle so they could rush back to the Dark Castle and wake the little Colette up.

"I'll won't sit here and watch you ruin my son's life!"

"You will," the fairy smiled, waving her hand and making a wave of magic hit Fiona. "You are now forbidden to tell anyone about this conversation. We are done now."

Glowing with a bright blue light, the fairy became small again and flied away from the castle, leaving Fiona alone in the garden, unable to do anything to help her beloved son, not even sharing the information she had, because the incantation Blue had casted on her could already be felt and she knew that if she tried to say anything about what she found out to any person, she would simply lose her voice, the words wouldn't come.

Once again, she had been defeated and for some reason in that night it hurt a lot more than it ever did.


	16. Flicker Of Hope

When Belle woke up in the next day, she was decided to start to pull her life back on the triggers. Bad things had happened to her, it still hurt a lot, but tragedies happened with everybody, so she needed to overcome it and there was no better moment to do it than now that she was back home. Fiona, the maid Rumplestiltskin had send with her, followed Belle around the castle, always quiet, walking some steps behind her with head down.

They went to the dining hall, after the princess was sure that everybody had already eaten and the was not a single person left in there. She sat by the table, filling her plate with some fruits, knowing that she needed to gather some strength now that her whole body was feeling so sensible, but after some bites Belle wasn't hungry anymore and let her eyes wander around the table until they landed in the maid's haunted face and she furrowed.

"Are you alright, Fiona?"

She blinked perceptively, but didn't look up. Belle had no idea of what was wrong with her, but she was pretty sure that Fiona had a lot of secrets herself, ever since that first day when she found the secret tower of the Dark Castle. It was the way that her eyes always seemed to be lost in the nowhere that showed how much things she had to think about, as many as it were to make Fiona lose herself in her own mind.

"Yes, sure."

"You seem a little annoyed," Belle pointed out.

"I'm fine, milady," Fiona assured, fixing her dark-brown gaze in the princess. "But you look in pain."

A sharp breath left Belle as she adjusted herself in the chair, trying to get comfortable, but it only served to make a new pain settle in her left side, as if a strange weight had moved there. It was bothering her very much, but she couldn't move herself to complain right now, because she knew that it was probably just a terrible remain of her early childbirth.

"Just an ache in my back, it will pass soon," the princess remarked, hoping that this discomfort wouldn't last long. "And you don't need to call me lady, I'm just Belle."

"Alright," Fiona replied with a tiny smile. She finished her breakfast and glanced at Belle who seemed to have no interest in eating any other bit of hers, so she stood up, proposing: "Why don't we take a walk?"

"I like this idea."

They left the hall in silence, crossing the corridors with no hurry, receiving glances from the guards and maids that circulated through the castle. It was very strange for Belle to be eyed this way, because she knew that most of these people who knew her for her whole life were actually judging her for the fact that she slept with a man they considered a monster. As if she hadn't married him to protect them all.

But the princess actually didn't care about what they thought about her, in fact Belle's mind was too occupied miserably missing Rumplestiltskin to give a real damn about the whispers around her. She was feeling like she had felt half of her heart behind when she came back to Avonlea and Belle wished with every fibre of her being that she could be with her husband and he could help her heal from the loss of their daughter.

Belle was so distracted that Fiona needed to pull at the sleeve of her gown to make her notice that her father and some of his men were walking in their direction. Both woman made them a curtsy and Maurice pulled his daughter close to him, taking an attentive look at the princess.

"I've sent word to the village, calling the best healer and the best midwife to check on you," the king said.

"Oh, papa, there is no need," Belle shooked her head, showing him one of her kindest smiles. "You know that women look awful for a while after giving birth, I'll be fine."

"You don't look fine, my girl."

"I will be," she guaranteed.

Her father caressed her cheek, pulling some curls behind her ear with preoccupation shining in his eyes. Belle knew that she was looking fat and pale, but it wasn't something to worry about, it was normal and soon she would look the same again.

"Well, I would be really relieved if you let someone exam you anyway," Maurice insisted.

"Fine," Belle rolled her eyes. "Just to calm your heart."

The king nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead before heading to the throne's room. A new pressure settled on her right side, freeing the left one of the pain that was bothering her so much, but yet making her feel breathless. Maybe, she thought, there was really something wrong with her body, some wound left by the birth.

"Your father is right," Fiona pointed out, staring at her with worried eyes.

"Seriously?" the princess asked, exhaling a frustrated snort. "So, are you going to tell me why Rumple locked you?"

"I'm afraid that if I tell you, you might not want me to be your maid anymore."

So, it was something bad after all, Belle concluded, her curiosity burning her, filling her mind with questions, but she restrained herself to arching an eyebrow and saying: "Try me."

"I'm his mother," Fiona said, looking down at the floor, before she murmured the next words with shame. "The Black Fairy."

"Oh."

"This cuff blocks my powers," the woman continued, lifting her wrist for Belle to see the black bracelet that was placed in there.

Biting down her lip, Belle remembered the story her husband had told her some days ago, about the Yellow Fairy and how she lost everything she had for a forbidden love. She had never imagined she already knew this woman and that she was way kinder than one could ever expect.

"Do you regret the things you did?"

"No," Fiona quickly assured, "I mean, I don't regret getting involved with Rumplestiltskin's father, nor having him, but I regret not being able to save them from the faith I brought on us."

Lips tightening in a pinkish line Belle murmured: "I'm truly sorry for you, Fiona."

"I just wish my son would forgive me," she shrugged.

And deep in her own thoughts, the princess counted the many things she had spent the last few months wanting. It was all pointless and dreaming only give people terribly wrong expectations with things that would never going to happen.

"Wishing hurts," Belle dispelled.

Then, she started walking again, making her way to the gardens, where she could pick some flowers to adorn her chambers and maybe show some inexistent happiness that could at least assure the people around there that she was slowly healing. Even though it was clearly a lie.

* * *

The sound of a voice speaking close to her face, made Fiona grumble in annoyance, hidding her face in the pillow willing to go back to sleep, but the voice insisted.

"Fiona!"

Oh, damn it, she knew that voice, but wasn't supposed to be calling in the middle of the night. Rumplestiltskin was keeping contact with her through the magic mirror and every day she answered the same questions about Belle, telling him all about the princess. Fiona had noticed that something was bothering her son, but as much as she wanted to ask him what was it, she was also knew he wasn't going to give her an answer. He thought she didn't deserve it and Fiona couldn't say that she didn't agree.

"It's late," she mumbled. "Nothing new happened, go to sleep, Rumple!"

Fiona was about to succumb to her sleepy state again when she felt a textured hand on her arm, what startled her.

"Open your eyes, I'm here."

Sitting up on the bed, she rubbed at her eyes, trying to distinguish the silhouette of the Dark One in the low lights of the room. He was sat by her side at the edge of the bed.

"Are you mad?" Fiona asked. "Shouldn't you be making some deal?"

"No," Rumplestiltskin answered, lifting the bundle he had been holding and pushing it gently to her arms. "Here, take her."

In a reflexion, Fiona held the fuzzy blanket, adjusting the soft weight of the little body inside there to her embrace. The fireplace lighted itself with magic and she was finally able to see the small baby nestled in there, a gasp escaping her mouth.

"This is..."

"Colette, your grandaughter," the imp confirmed. "Still alive and breathing. Just cursed."

"I know," she murmured, estupefied.

It had been a long time since Fiona had the chance of holding a babe, even more one she cared about. And it was such a beautiful girl, sleeping peacefully and completely unaware of the mess she had the bad luck of being a part of. Oh, she wished she could give the world to that child and provide everything to her, all she could never give to her boy.

"You know?" Rumplestiltskin asked, eager to get any information that could help him wake his daughter.

Smiling at him, Fiona reached for his hand, gripping at his fingers in compassion. The preoccupation in his reptilian eyes showed how much he was going to be a good a father who would give his own life for his child and Fiona wanted to tell him what he needed to do to get his family back, but she just wasn't able to.

"I - " she tried to say, but the intention behind her words already blocked her voice. Damned Blue, Fiona thought, cursing that woman with all the creative bad words she could find. "Can't."

"Can't what?"

"Spell," Fiona bounced.

Understanding passed through his face. Rumplestiltskin knew that incantations like the one casted in his mother were powerful and could only be taken down by the person who did them. But that only proved that just like he had been considering someone else had poisoned Belle to make them think that their child was dead.

"Oh, alright, I'll fix things on my own, but now listen," the imp commanded. "I need you to look after her while I speak to Belle."

"You can count on me, my boy," Fiona said with a confident nod of her head, letting him stand up to get out of her chambers, but calling him right before he passed through the door. "And Rumple?"

"Aye?"

"You have a beautiful daughter."

Oh, he certainly needed to agree with her in this. His daughter was the sweetest thing he had ever seen, he was already utterly in love with and she hadn't even moved herself it, but anything that come from Belle could only be as amazing as she was. And now he needed to tell his wife that there was still hope for her, so they could find a way of waking her, together.

* * *

She was standing in the balcony, leaning against the frame of the door that led to it, looking up at the stars and thinking about those childhood nights when her mother put her to bed, read her good stories and sing beautiful songs. It was difficult not to remember the good old times when she was feeling so nostalgic, which made her thoughts quickly wander back to her short marriage with Rumplestiltskin. They were happy and in love at some point, even it was for just small moments. If life had been merciful to her, maybe now she could be cradling her baby in her arms and the loss of her husband wouldn't feel so terrible.

A tear slid down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it. She heard the door crackling open and opened her mouth to tell her father, Fiona or whoever decided it was a good idea to come there in the middle of the night, to go away, when she turned around and saw the last person she expected to have in her chambers.

"Belle."

"Rumple," she breathed. "What are you doing here?"

He took some steps in her direction, a strange expression in his face, a mix of fear, wonder and happiness. It was very different from the indifference he had showed her the last time they talked to each other.

"I needed to see you," Rumplestiltskin grinned softly, reaching to touch her arms.

"Please, don't," Belle stepped back. "Do not come any closer."

Her heart was beating faster just at the sight of him and as much as she hated Rumple for his stupid actions, he couldn't help but wanting to throw her arms around his neck and drown into a kiss. She still remembered how he felt between her legs and the mere thought of having him exhaling breathless love words to her ear again, made her body start to ache.

"I have something to tell you," the imp explained, "something good."

"I'm not sure if I want to hear it," she replied, trying to protect herself for the heartbreak she knew was most likely to come.

"Sweetheart, you have no idea of how much I'm sorry for every single thing I said and done to you," Rumplestiltskin started, walking towards her again. "I love you, but all I ever did was to deceive you and now I know how wrong I was, so please, let me fix things for us."

Fix it, how could he think that they could fix anything by now? Didn't he understand that even if they loved each other, they always ended up ruining everything? How could he come there and give her hopes that were never going to be concrete? Oh, gods, she loved that stupid imp, but she wanted to slap him with all the strength she had.

"You broke or vow, you sent me back home," Belle accused. "And I'm not even sure if I can still be considered your wife."

He took the final step and reached for her, cupping her face as he bent his own to touch his forehead against hers, eyes looking deep into the blue depths of hers.

"Belle, you are and you always will be the only love of my life and nothing can break or vows, not a bunch of words, not anything else."

Breathing in his words, Belle attacked his mouth with her own, smashing his lips in a hungry kiss, pulling at his hair and sliding her tongue inside his mouth to caress its insides and make him groan. Somehow, they managed to walk to her bed and Rumple sat there with her in his lap.

"My darling, look at me," he said, breaking the kiss. Rumplestiltskin gently stroke her curls, admiring the lines of her beautiful face and allowing himself to smile genuinely for the first time in long. "Our daughter is alive."

Her mouth opened in a "o" shape, pinkish petal lips slightly swollen from their kisses. He traced them slowly as she processed the information, her trembling hands gripping at the laces of his waistcoat.

"What do you mean?" Belle inquired, breathless and confused. "She was a stillborn. I saw it."

"No, sweetheart, she is cursed. Asleep."

The word "curse" didn't even have a true meaning for Belle in that second, because all she knew was that her daughter wasn't dead like she thought.

"My baby is alive," she murmured in awe.

"Yes."

"Oh, Rumple," Belle exclaimed pulling him as close as her belly allowed. "Will you take me to her?"

Smiling the Dark One nodded emphatically, stealing a quick cheerful kiss from her.

"Aye, of course."

Rolling on her back, Belle held his hand as an invitation that Rumplestiltskin happily accepted, settling himself above her as his lips gently brushed at hers before he felt his wife's legs closing around his back, pulling him closer to her heat. Another groan came from him and his mouth attacked Belle's throat.

Neither of them could believe that they were really just skipping a very needed conversation and giving themselves to their desire, but they always were way better in bed than they were with communication.

"Rum..." Belle moaned, but when a strange noise that sounded like a sob followed, the Dark One felt his heart skip a beat. "Rumple, stop!"

Quickly sitting back on the bed, he stared at her in despair seeing Belle's face contracted with discomfort.

"What is it?"

"I'm in pain," his wife answered in a gasp. "There is something pressing my spine."

He brushed the hair away from her face and suddenly felt something he hadn't realised before: she was way warmer than she used to be.

"Belle, you're burning in fever!"

Trying to sit, the princess fell back against the mattress crying out with a new stab to her back.

"Ah!"

"Calm down, sweetheart, I'll heal you," Rumplestiltskin groping at her back, the magic already spreading around his palm when he sensed something he wasn't expecting. His eyes got wide, understanding that of course, things were going to get a little more complicated again. "Oh, oh my Belle..."


	17. For What Is Worth

Belle was left alone again. She groaned in frustration and pain as her back was pressed even harder, taking her breath away and causing some tears to slid down from her eyes. Rumple hadn't said a thing before he exited the room, only helped her to lean against the pillows, so she could get more comfortable and promised he would be back soon with help, but she didn't understand why he couldn't just use his magic, to fix whatever was hurting her, she just wanted it to stop as soon as possible.

When the door was opened, she exhaled a long sigh of relief, seeing her husband coming inside with his mother right behind him. Belle's lips curved in a weary smile when she noticed that Rumple was holding Colette, but the startled look on Fiona eyes stopped her from asking to hold her daughter, because the woman quickly came to sit beside her, moving her hands to touch her ribs.

"Can someone care to explain me what is happening?" Belle demanded.

"It is back to back with her," Fiona told Rumple, ignoring her completely. "I'll need to move it."

She watched as her husband's face went a shade paler and he made a huge basket appear on the table near him, placing Colette inside it, so he could focus his attention on Belle. Fiona started to grope at her back, causing a whole new wave of pain to burst through her body.

"Wait," Belle begged, breathlessly. "You're not going to do anything before I get an answer."

Rumplestiltskin approached her, sitting on the opposite end of the bed from where his mother was and taking her hand in his, as he gently stroked her hair.

"Sweetheart, there is another baby."

Belle felt like the world had been frozen for a moment. She blinked repeatedly, trying to make her mind process what the Dark One had just said.

"Another one?"

"Aye, my love," Rumple confirmed. "Both the thing that poisoned Colette and the potion I gave to you, were only enough to affect one child, so the other must have moved to give it space but now it is stuck against your back."

She didn't know if she should be happy, scared or frustrated because things were never normal for her, but Belle was pretty sure that she was feeling all the three things at the same time. Another baby. The information repeated in her mind unstoppably and the only thing she could do, was to pray that what had happened when Colette was born didn't repeat, because she wouldn't be able to take another heartbreak.

"Lay on your side," Fiona demanded and Belle obeyed without a word, letting Rumple take her hand in his, kissing her knuckles as his mother pressed her hands against her back, warning: "It might hurt a little."

Then Fiona added some strength at her grip, causing Belle to cry out in pain as her hands groped the length of her back and belly. She actually felt the baby being moved from its place, turning around inside her until her spine was no longer being smashed with its weight and the child landed where it should have always been, her belly looking instantly a little rounder.

Belle sighed in relief but looked back at her mother-in-law with anger. "That's your definition of little?"

"I'm sorry. But you know that it was needed and your back shall not bother you anymore," Fiona said, studying her with those warm brown eyes. "I think there will still be another two months or so before the second babe comes."

Rumplestiltskin leaned forward, stroking Belle's face with tenderness as her raggedy breath calmed and got normal again. He helped her to sit up, pulling some pillows behind her, so she could get the most comfortable she could.

"Give me my girl, please," Belle demanded.

Fiona nodded, turning her back to them so she could go pick the baby.

"Did the pain stop?" Rumple questioned.

"Yeah, I'm alright now."

Glancing away from him, Belle stared at Fiona as she approached them holding the small bundle that was wrapped in a beautiful golden knitted blanket. The fairy looked down at it with something that she swore in that moment, that resembled love. Her mother-in-law handed the child to her and watched with a smile as her son wrapped the princess in his embrace, looking at the babe over her shoulder.

"Oh, look at her," Rumplestiltskin murmured.

"I knew you weren't lost, Colette," Belle whispered to her daughter bringing her up, so she could press a kiss to her temple.

At the second her lips touched the baby's skin, Belle felt something magical happening, a new breeze on the room, that cooled the air in a good way, lifting the hair in the front of her face, as a wave of colour burst from them. And just like this, she saw when Colette took a deep breath, shirking before she opened her little mouth and let out a loud squeal. Releasing a gasp, Belle brought the child closer to her chest, cradling her gently in an attempt to cease the cries.

"Hi, baby, mama is here."

"Perfect little angel," Rumplestiltskin murmured, stunned. "Belle you woke her!"

"True Love is the most powerful thing in the world," said Fiona, from where she was, biting down her lip.

However, none of them were really paying any attention to her, not when they had a beautiful new-born to look at. After a moment, Belle finally managed to make the baby's cries stop and Colette restrained herself to moving her little arms blindly until she opened her eyes, blinking some times before she closed them again, letting out a small noise.

"Blue eyes," the Dark One bounced, proudly "like yours."

Reaching to touch his cheek, Belle allowed a sad expression to cross her face. She was happy, of course, her daughter was alive, the other baby was safe, but it still didn't change much things for her and the imp.

"Rumple..." She began in a shaken voice, fixing her eyes on his to be sure that would get a sincere answer. "Will you leave me again?"

Surprise filled him, eyes bulging a little in an almost funny way. He should have known that Belle would fear being let down again, giving those last experiences, she had with him always running away when she most needed, but he actually didn't.

"No, of course not," he assured, feeling her fingers toying gently with the locks of his hair. "Why are you asking me this?"

"There is a chance the other baby might be a boy," the girl shrugged, letting her hand fall down from him, so she could tickle her fingers on Colette's arms, avoiding his glance this time.

She needed to be sure that Rumple wasn't going to run away again, like he always did, because even if she was willing to forgive him, Belle was still hurt and needed to guarantee that she would give her children the best life she could and it shouldn't include having a father that couldn't love them completely. However, any doubt she could have disappeared, when he tugged his fingers on her hair, pressing a long kiss to her forehead and making her look deep into her eyes.

"Belle, I was wrong in fearing the inevitable," Rumple confessed with shame, his voice low and more human than she had ever heard before. "Thinking I had lost you and Colette, made me realise that what I truly want is our family. I won't give up on it for anything in this world, not even for my own life."

Locking his lips with her, he shared an intense kiss with Belle, that longed to pull him closer and ran her hands through his hair and body, but couldn't do it, because of the baby she was holding.

Some steps ahead, Fiona cleared her throat, calling their attention.

"Alright, I'm happy you two are happy, but I'm starting to feel uncomfortable watching this, and there are most important things we need to discuss."

Rumplestiltskin snorted. "Like what?"

"You can't take Belle back to the Dark Castle and no one can know that Colette lives," she hurried to say. "There is... A threat."

"And let me guess," he narrowed his eyes, "the incantation this person casted on you is preventing you from saying the name."

"Yes," Fiona confirmed.

"Wonderful," Rumplestiltskin grumbled.

Touching his daughter's brow, he started to wonder how he could ever defeat someone that was playing a ghost and simply left no traces behind. He had a family now and he need to protect them, but just the thought of not being able to made him feel weak and desperate.

"Son," Fiona called again, remarking: "You know who."

There was a shadow of fear in her eyes, one that only appeared under one subject.

"Blue?" He inquired. "Oh, I'm going to kill her."

His wife gripped tightly at his sleeve, pulling at it as the babe in her arms tossed and turned, making sweet low noises and attempting to start to cry again.

"Rumple, no, you can't do this," Belle begged, blinking those watery eyes at him, that always reached under his skin.

Gods, she was his very weakness and he wanted to make her all the promises she wanted to hear, but he couldn't do this just now.

"I can and I will," he said behind clenched teeth.

Her lower lip trembled as she pulled away from him, nestling their daughter even closer to her chest, as if shielding her from the imp. It made Rumple feel miserable, unworthy of their love all over again. His precious little wife feared his actions and he knew that it was his fault alone.

"Why do you keep taking one step forward and two steps back?" Belle asked, sniffling.

"I..."

"She is right. Blue is not your problem, but mine and if anyone is ever going to kill her, this person is me," Fiona assured, her expression becoming a little dark before she softened it. "Now, about keeping our secret. I suggest we isolate the room, tell the whole kingdom that Belle has a childbirth fever and it's in critical condition."

Belle straightened herself against the pillows as she felt the second child moving within her, probably bothered with the fact that its sister was being held right above her belly, pressing it. She exchanged glances between her husband and his mother, trying to analyse the situation in the most intelligent way she could, but her brain wasn't working very well with all those news. Sighing, she fixed her gaze in Fiona with a question shinning in her eyes.

"But what about my father?"

"You can tell him the truth," the fairy shrugged, "as long as he is willing to keep on with our farce."

"I'm sure it will be no problem."

In her arms, Colette let out a loud sound as she started crying with all the strength of her tiny lungs, taking everybody's attention just for herself. Fiona approached the bed again, smiling at her granddaughter and touching Belle's shoulder.

"I believe you should feed her," she recommended, looking at her son next. "Rumple why don't you bring the king here?"

Nodding, the imp stood up, watching them for a moment with uncertainty.

"Will you be alright?" He asked Belle.

"Just bring my father, please."

"Whatever you want," Rumplestiltskin guarantee, allowing the magic to take him away.

* * *

The Dark One appeared in king Maurice's own office. He was sitting by a big desk, distracted with the parchments he had open in front of him, writing something in one of them.

"Busy?"

"Rumplestiltskin," the king exclaimed, standing up in a quick second, his face becoming red with anger. "How dare you coming in here after what you did to my girl?"

Not that Rumple didn't expect such a reaction, but he thought that maybe Maurice wouldn't be so full of hate.

"You promised her hand in marriage to me and you've always knew the risks she would be facing as my wife."

"Yes, and that was the greatest mistake of my life," Maurice shouted out at him in his most threatening tone. "Get the hell out of my castle."

"I can't," Rumplestiltskin returned with a sigh. "Your daughter asked me to take you to her chambers."

That made Maurice's eyes get wide and a frown take his face, the king crossed the room to look at him with much more courage than he had, when he first summoned the imp to make that deal all those years ago, when Rumple first saw Belle, and knew that if there was something he wanted in his life it was the princess of Avonlea.

"You spoke with her?"

"Aye," he nodded, rolling his eyes at Maurice's expression. "Do not look at me like this is a crime. She is still my wife."

"You rejected her," the king yelled angrily. "You sent her back ill and heartbroken!"

In fact, that was exactly what he had done and there wasn't any little part that didn't regret it. But letting Belle go had been the hardest thing he'd ever done in his whole life.

"Because I believed it was the best choice at the moment, but now I see it wasn't."

"So, you're here to retrieve her?"

"Not exactly," the Dark One smirked, leaning forward. "I need Belle to stay here for a while more."

He couldn't see that, from all things, it was not what Maurice was expecting. Rumplestiltskin wasn't one to ask favours and having him doing it, was simply astonishing for the king, even though it didn't sound like a question, but an imposition.

"Why?"

"You should come with me and see with your own eyes," he said, snapping his fingers.

"I don't - "

Before Maurice could complete the sentence, they had vanished to Belle's chambers, where they found her cradling Colette with Fiona right by her side.

"Papa," the princess exclaimed, smiling at him.

"Belle."

"Come here," she tapped the empty space on the bed by her left side and he walked towards her, almost hypnotically, eyes landing on the child she was holding. Belle lifted the babe, giving him a better view as she grinned happily. "Meet your granddaughter, Colette."

Maurice probably didn't know what surprised him the most, if the fact that the child didn't look anything like Rumplestiltskin, or if it was the fact that it was alive, calmly breathing with eyelids closed and mouth slightly open.

"I thought you'd said that the baby was born dead."

"It was what we thought, but she was just cursed," the princess told him.

He smiled at Colette, enchanted with how tiny she was, much smaller than any other baby he had ever seen before. Maurice reached a hand to touch her and the baby's little hand curled on his finger.

"Oh, Belle, I'm so happy for you," the king said, kissing the top of his daughter's head. "But darling, you don't need him. Say a word and my men will come to fight for us. You don't need to stay with this beast because you've had his child, you can raise your daughter here, under my protection."

Belle shooked her head for him. Her father was a stubborn man, that wasn't any news for her, but he had started this whole mess, when he promised her in marriage to the Dark One and now he had to understand that she was going to make her own choices and that based in what was best for her children.

"No, papa, you don't understand," she insisted. "I love Rumple and there are other important matters right now."

"Like what?"

She took a deep breath, worrying at her lip, unsure of how he was going to take it.

"There is a second child yet to be born," Belle said. "And an evil being will come after it if she finds out that I'm having another baby."

"See, king Maurice?" Rumplestiltskin interrupted. "That's why you need to tolerate me and help."

The king's eyes narrowed at the sound of his voice. He was certainly already shaken by the news Belle just shared, but the fact that she was having twins wasn't much thing for him as it was the idea of doing anything in Rumplestiltskin's behalf.

"I'm not doing anything for you or that black witch," he yelled pointing at the woman that sat quietly by Belle's side during the whole time.

"I haven't even spoke a word," Fiona bounced, startled.

"But you were his prisoner," the kind accused. "There must be a reason."

A dangerous look appeared in Fiona's face, although she still didn't look much a threat in her peasant clothes, smoothing Belle's back ever so gently. She wasn't going to fight the king in any possible way, but she wasn't one to stay with her mouth shut for too long too.

"Yeah, I'm his mother," the fairy declared, lifting her chin, daring Maurice to come with another bunch of cruel words.

"You're what?" Was everything that came from the king's mouth.

"Papa, it is a long story," Belle remarked, begging next: "Please."

Sighing, Maurice nodded.

"Alright," he gave up. "But I'm doing it for my Belle and my grandchildren."

However, it didn't matter for any who he was doing it for as long as they had the king's support, because maybe the babies' lives depended on it.


	18. Mending And Searching

As the days went by, the whole hallway that led to Belle's chambers was closed by the king's order, after his declaration that his daughter was very ill, and should be isolated with just her maid and a healer, which nobody had seen, because simply didn't exist, but at least this way, nobody would hear when Colette cried nor see when Rumplestiltskin appeared in there. He came every single night to help with the baby, and spent every single day lost between books and informants that could give him any clue about how to defeat the Blue Fairy or just fool his own fate, but even after a long week, he didn't find anything useful.

The Dark One was now watching his wife in silence as she gently rocked their little daughter, mumbling a lullaby in her sweet voice. She had regained her brightness again, as she had recovered herself from the early birth and wasn't feeling bothered by pain anymore. Belle just looked gorgeous now, from her beautiful auburn hair to the smoothness of her skin and the roundness of her belly, swollen with his second child. That woman never failed to take his breath away and as she bent to lay Colette on the crib with a giant smile on her face, he felt more in love than he had ever done before.

"Rum?" Belle called, taking him out of his hypnotical state.

"Yes, my love?"

"Come here, please," she asked, stilling herself in place, with a hand pressed to one side of her belly.

Standing up, Rumplestiltskin slowly walked towards her with curiosity shinning in his eyes as he analysed the apparent surprise in his wife's expression. He saw when it became a soft frown, which got him preoccupied as he slid a hand down Belle's back.

"Is something wrong with Colette?"

"No," she smiled, taking his hand in hers and placing it right where hers was before. "Just feel it."

The firm skin under his palm suddenly pressed hard against it, before going back to normal, causing him to gasp at the sensation.

"It's kicking," Rumplestiltskin marvelled.

Belle nodded cheerfully as her husband's hands traced the length of her belly, palming around to see if he could get another movement and the baby gifted them with a second kick, taking happy laughs from both its parents. She glanced at her daughter, laying quiet in the crib and sighed.

"Yeah, we never had the chance of feeling Colette so, well, it is wonderful for me."

"It's the most amazing thing I've ever felt," Rumple agreed.

He had been a good, attentive father ever since their daughter's arrival, always offering himself to soothe her and spending hours just cradling the babe in his arms for entertainment, but she always got herself surprised at how tender the Dark One seemed when it came to children. Belle thought that after their fights she didn't truly expect him to love any of the babies and yet he did and with all of his heart.

"Mm, yeah?" She asked in a teasing tone. "And what about me in your arms?"

Smirking widely, Rumplestiltskin pulled her closer, holding his wife against his chest, her bump the only thing between them.

"This too," he said, peppering a kiss to her nose, "after all, it is what created those beautiful babies."

His nose caressed hers in the sweetest of the touches before they locked lips, allowing their mouths to open almost in synchrony as they tasted each other. Rumple had been drinking wine, she could tell, relishing in feeling his tongue stroke the insides of her mouth, making her release a low moan.

"Don't you dare leaving me again," Belle told him between kisses.

His lips lowered to her neck, urging at the sensible skin knowing he could drive her crazy, just by nibbling at it and felt her trembling in his arms, her breath starting to get sharp as she clung to him.

"Never," he groaned, sucking at the pulsing point that made her gasp.

Belle knew there was no way they could go own with this, but she wished so, because it had been longs months since she last touched her husband and in some nights the memory of him worshipping her body, would invade her mind and make an ache that only him could smooth, appear between her thighs, asking for something she couldn't have just now. That, however didn't prevent her from getting every bit of him she could manage to.

Rumple helped her turning around and gathered all of her hair, laying it on one of her shoulders as he pressed his body firmly against hers, moulding himself to her curves and letting her feel his own desire. Belle was about to ask if there was a way they could help each other reaching some blissfulness, even with her huge belly in the way, when they heard Colette starting to cry again.

The princess immediately departed from him, scooping the squealing baby up and walking towards the bed, so Belle couldn't actually sit and calm herself as she did the same with her daughter.

"She has pretty strong lungs for someone this little," Belle chuckled, a little breathless. "Your mother said..."

"Oh, no. Nothing good starts with Fiona saying something,"

"Seriously, Rumple?" His wife rolled her eyes. "She is a good woman, all she had done ever since I met her was to help me and be gentle... Oh well, maybe not that one time I first appeared in her tower, but ever since, she is being."

Walking to her side, Rumple kneeled in front of Belle, dropping kisses to their baby's minuscule hand, while she kept screaming loudly. He couldn't understand how the princess could ever see any goodness in his mother, but he certainly wasn't going to trust Fiona, mainly now when he had so much to lose.

"Belle, she is the very reason I am this monster and we are fighting against a wicked fairy."

"People make mistakes," she answered softly, her gaze fixed in the child in her arms, "but I don't think Fiona made one. She fought for you the hardest she could."

One of the things he most appreciated in Belle was this power she had of never getting attached to one's dark side, but instead try to bring up the best someone still had to offer, but he didn't want her innocence to be her ruin. People could be very bad and only bad.

"Let's change subject," he said with a sigh, "what did she say?"

Colette was finally soothed, breathing lighter and making sucking movements with her little mouth, which produced tiny funny sounds as she slowly went back to sleep.

"Well, that most babies born before the right time do not survive, but our Colette seems to be strong enough to make it through."

"Aye," Rumplestiltskin agreed, knowing that such a small baby probably wouldn't have survived much time, if it wasn't for the magic running strong in her veins. "She already is a warrior."

Waving her head positively, Belle cradled the baby closer, brushing a finger against her soft skin, thinking that it was still hard to believe it was really her baby. It seemed so surreal that this tiny being had been made of her love for Rumplestiltskin, and this little life she so adored didn't even existed some months ago, because she didn't know what she would do without devoting her life to that child and the other that was yet to come.

That's a good start for an adventure, Belle thought, a good first book to be followed by many more, filled with different places and struggles. She was just going to need to make it out alive to the end of this one first, of course. Looking at Rumple, Belle brushed his hair away from his face.

"Do you think the people are buying the story about me having childbirth fever?"

"You looked very ill when you arrived," the imp mumbled.

He only knew how Belle looked by Fiona's description and his last seeing of her before she left the Dark Castle, but he knew that have just been through a birth and still feeling weak and sore, his wife wasn't much the image of healthy.

"Good," she smiled, although she wasn't feeling much more confident about that.

Standing up, Rumplestiltskin gesticulated in the direction of their child. "Care to let me put her on the crib?"

"Be my guest."

He took Colette from her arms, walking to the crib in the other end of the room and placing her inside, adjusting the blanked around her, before going back to bed, where Belle had already settled herself under the covers. Rumple magicked his boots away, changing his leather clothes for a long nightshirt and slid to his wife's side, spooning himself against her, his nose nuzzling at her neck.

"Everything is going to be fine, Belle," the Dark One murmured. "You will see."

* * *

She woke up to an empty cold bed, but that wasn't any surprise for Belle, as Rumple had been travelling between her father's castle and many other places during the last weeks, what really would surprise her was to have her husband there by the morning, so maybe they could discuss all the things that had been left unsaid after so many bad arguments and actions. But of course, it would still take a long time for it to happen.

Trying to sit up, Belle groaned when she felt that her baby had turned around during the night and apparently now, all of its weight was pressed against the side of her belly that had been facing the mattress. She poked her huge stomach, trying to wake the child, but it seemed to be sleeping peacefully and not giving a damn about its mother's discomfort, which made her whimper in frustration, causing a laugh to come from near Colette's crib. When Belle looked up, she saw her mother-in-law standing there, cradling her daughter.

"Fiona?"

"How are you feeling today, my dear?"

Belle was about to answer when the child finally turned around and she sat in the bed as quick as possible before it could think about changing positions again.

"The baby doesn't allow me to sleep," she respired, stroking her bump. "It was so quiet before."

"It didn't have much freedom to move before, because of the way it was positioned," Fiona shrugged.

She came closer, bringing Colette to Belle with that same look full of love she always wore when her granddaughter was around. Belle thought that even if Rumple never changed his mind about her, she would never just disappear, because they were the only family she had and she cared for them.

"How..." Belle started, hesitantly. "How do you know so much about babies?"

"After I escaped the Dark Realm, I worked as a midwife for some years," Fiona told her in a nostalgic tone. "Then I found my son, but the other fairy plotted to have him cursed and he hates me ever since."

Colette fussed in her arms and Belle opened the front ribbons of her nightgown, letting one of the sleeves slid down her shoulder so she could feed the baby.

"He will forgive you, eventually."

"I can only hope so," the fairy murmured, glancing at her granddaughter that took her meal eagerly. "This little one seems hungry."

"She is getting stronger, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Fiona nodded. "At least my bloodline is continuing and growing larger. Malcolm would have liked that... Seeing his grandchildren grow."

There was sadness in her voice and when Belle looked up at her, she saw there were tears shinning in Fiona's eyes. She knew by herself how it felt to lose the man you loved, to have your heart broken and all your hopes shattered, so she could feel a greater compassion for the fairy's situation.

"You still miss him."

"Every single day. He was the love of my life."

Remembering about the day Rumplestiltskin had told her that life was unfair with everyone, Belle started to think that even with all she had been through until now, she hadn't yet faced the worst that could have happened to her. After all, Rumple was back by her side, they still had a lot to work on, but he was there, willing to fight for their family, her daughter was nestled against her chest and the other baby was still safe inside her womb.

She had hope. Fiona had nothing and for a long time, she had even less than that.

"You lost everything," Belle murmured.

"I did. But I don't want to think about it."

Reaching for her hand, the princess gave her a tiny smile. "If I have another girl, I shall name her after you."

"Please, don't," Fiona chuckled, allowing some tears to fall from her eyes. "The poor creature shouldn't bear such a cursed name. Call her something else."

Her lips formed a thin line, because she didn't really have another name she'd rather give to her child other than that, so both girls could have their grandmothers' names, but she still had to consider that maybe she should be thinking about another kind of names. She swallowed as she stroked the top of her belly, watching Colette in silence for a moment.

"The chance of it being a boy kind of scares me," Belle confessed.

"I know," Fiona mumbled, "I fear for my son's life too, but there are things that make me believe that maybe the danger is not so big."

"What?"

The dark-haired woman opened her mouth twice, but nothing came until she whispered weakly: "Spell."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot."

Fiona breathed in, nervously, but assured her: "Rumple will find out for himself, I have faith in that."

* * *

As the weeks went by, the rumours about the princess' illness run through all of Avonlea, leaving the people to believe she wasn't going to make it through and probably would die soon, which was certainly a good thing, because it meant that nobody distrusted their lie. However, even if the commoners were fooled, the Dark One still needed to find a way to neutralize Blue's threats or they were never going to be able to live their lives in peace.

He tried to talk with every magic being in those lands, gathering the most of information about the fairy's hiding place, but he always received the same answers, he would never find it, because he had a dark heart. Rumplestiltskin considered taking a pure hostage and forcing this people to guide him there so he could rip Blue's heart out and make sure she would never harm them again, but it would take him long to find someone that could do the work and time was something he didn't have now, because at each passing day, he watched Belle's bump getting bigger, alarming him that the child would soon arrive.

So, as a last research, he found himself in Regina's castle, pacing nervously around the great hall which was a maddening thing for the Queen, that only hadn't yet expelled him from there, because she knew that someday she could need his help and if she did so, he was never, ever going to attend her summons again.

"I've told you a thousand times that I have no other resource," Regina insisted tapping her fingers around a silver cup.

"It has to be one."

She didn't understand why he was so distressed over this. Of course that after so many years working together, she already knew why he hated fairies so much which obviously led to why he hated Blue so much, but he was becoming paranoiac now.

"Why are you so interested in that?"

"My business, not yours," Rumplestiltskin bounced, harshly.

"Then, why did you come here?"

"I thought you were useful," the imp said with a grimace. "Big mistake."

He vanished from her castle, leaving Regina stunned to face the empty hall where he had been storming just some seconds earlier.

* * *

The voices of the previous Dark Ones constantly interrupted Rumplestiltskin's sleep and he woke up with screams or laughs echoing in his mind many, many times, but the imp had never been disturbed by slaps before. He grumbled, turning around to hid his face in the pillows, still feeling a pair of hands shaking his shoulder desperately, before they slapped him again.

"Wake up," he heard Belle's shaken voice yelled. "Rumplestiltskin, please, wake up!"

Her anxious tone, made something click in his head and the imp quickly sat on the bed, looking around in the darkness of her chambers, lightning some candles with magic, so he could properly see. Rumplestiltskin found his wife sat by his side with a hand pressed to her belly as she worried at lip with such strength, that he swore she was going to open a cut on it, if she continued biting for any other second.

"What is it?"

"I'm in pain and the sheets are wet," Belle cried. "I think my water just broke."

Heart beating faster, Rumplestiltskin slid off the bed, waving a hand to make a full outfit appear in replacement of his nightclothes

"Hold on, alright?" He said, kissing the top of Belle's head, before heading to the door, ready to call someone to help. "It will be alright."


	19. Burst Of Light

There was a storm scaring people outside the castle in Avonlea, the thunders resounding loudly, the wind blowing the falls and making the weaker trees arch with its strength, but inside the princess' chambers nobody was really paying attention to it. Belle had never truly known pain before, she concluded in that endless night. It all started with a pressure down her body which started to become higher, spreading the pain around her belly and back, burning slowly in shorter breaks at each time. She took long breaths, closing her eyes to concentrate whenever the pain came, clenching her teeth.

The princess accepted Fiona's help to stand up as her husband encircled her waist, supporting her when he saw Belle grimace with another contraction. She gripped at his arm tightly, frustrated that it was taking so long for this child to come.

"I don't remember it hurting so much the first time," Belle grunted.

"It's because on the first time you had a rather smaller baby and Rumple's potion helped your body to stretch easier," Fiona explained. "But you know, once a woman's water break, it doesn't take much longer for the baby to arrive, your body shall start to work soon."

"Can I have another potion?"

"No," the fairy bounced, "it can be harmful for the child. Now walk."

Narrowing her eyes, Belle tried to fight her sudden need to slap her mother-in-law for being so ridiculously calm and authoritative when she was going through so much pain. In fact, she didn't remember having such horrible sensations when she gave birth to Colette, she had just laid there in the bed with what seemed to be a burning ache in her stomach until the maddening need to push came.

But now there was none of this and her body didn't appear to be collaborating to accelerate things, as the last time Fiona checked on her she told there would still be some time of wait.

"I hate you," she spitted at the fairy.

"You'll thank me later," Fiona answered walking to the other end of the room, where she had left a whole table prepared with clean cloths, water and some silver tools which's use Belle didn't want to wonder about.

She allowed Rumple to help her walk to the balcony, where she reclined herself breathing out and relishing in the feeling of having no contractions for a while as he rubbed at her back. The princess wasn't feeling her baby moving or kicking now, instead it was pressing down, but with no space to make its debut to the world, what only frustrated her more.

"It's your fault!"

"My fault?" He asked, stupefied and confused. "How is that supposed to be my fault?"

Belle pointed at her round belly, angrily.

"You put it inside me and now it has to come out!"

His mouth fell open at the accusation, without believing that she was really saying those nonsense things to him.

Of course, the guilty was all his, like she hadn't participated in that child's conception or like she had totally forgot he tried to avoid it in first place, not that now Rumplestiltskin didn't love his children and wasn't eager to meet the second twin, but he had tried to prevent himself, she was the one who didn't listen to him, so if Belle wanted to blame someone for her contractions she should realise it was likely her own fault.

"You didn't drink the potion," the Dark One pointed out.

However, he regretted those words by the moment the slipped out of his mouth and he saw the anger become clearer in Belle's face, the imp swore the look she was giving him was capable of setting someone on fire and turn the person into ashes right on her feet.

"Are you trying to blame me?" She asked in a dangerously slow voice.

"No, sweetheart," he immediately denied, not wanting to start a big argument when their child was about to be born, "of course not."

Opening her mouth, Belle seemed about to snap another couple of harsh words at him, but suddenly she shrunk, closing her eyes very tightly.

"Ah, there is another contraction coming," his wife murmured in an puffy voice.

"Do you want to sit?"

"No, no," Belle shooked her head, leaning against the handrail. "I'm fine."

However, every time her pain came Rumple felt like his heart was being smashed in agony, to see the suffering appearing in her face.

"You don't look fine."

"I'm not," she panted.

"But, you said - "

"Shut up," Belle yelled, angrily. "Go get me some water."

And just like that the terrifying Dark One, was sent away by his little wife, frustrated with the pains of the labour. He wished he could help her somehow, but Fiona had forbidden any potions and said that magic would be no good in that moment, because none of them wanted to pay any prices just now. The imp might not trust his mother a bit, but he knew that she at least was a talented midwife and would never let anything happen to her grandchildren, as he could see in her eyes how much she cared for them.

Actually, Rumple also saw how much Fiona cared for him, but he made himself blind to this, because he didn't want to believe in her motherly love, not after the terrible life he had because of her. He approached the fairy anyway, watching as she worked in setting things ready for the birth and stretched a hand to grab the water jar and pour some in a cup for Belle.

"It is going to be a long night, my son," Fiona murmured distractedly.

He swallowed hard, lifting his reptilian glance to her, with some fear shining in his eyes, as he couldn't think about having to deal with this angry psychotic Belle for more than another couple of minutes.

"It will take the whole night?"

"If we are lucky," his mother answered with a little laugh. "I've seen women stay in labour for two days before the babe came."

What Fiona didn't say was that Belle probably wouldn't reach the morning without having her child in her arms, but seeing her son panic was rather funny and helped distract her.

"May the gods help us all," Rumplestiltskin whispered, even though he wasn't one to pray to any gods.

But in this night, well in this night he would beg to anyone that could hep him for this childbirth to be quickly and successful. However, the only thing that truly mattered now was time, because all they could do was to wait.

* * *

A couple of hours later, king Maurice appeared on their door with a squealing Colette in his arms, crying loudly, hungry and desperate. He didn't know what to do or if he should send someone to fetch a wet-nurse for her, but the Dark One told him it was better if nobody saw the baby girl, then he took her from the king's arms and brought her to Belle, that was curled on the bed, trying to deal with her now more constant and horrible pain.

"My love," he murmured stroking her hair. "I'm so sorry to disturb you, but our daughter is hungry. Do you think you can feed her?"

No answer came from the princess, she just closed her eyes more tightly and allowed him to hold the baby closer enough so she could get her late-night meal, before he dragged her away, soothing the little one to make her sleep as he walked back to where king Maurice was, impatiently waiting.

"Here," Rumplestiltskin said, laying the babe in his arms. "Now that Colette is fed, I think you can handle her."

"Uh, yeah," Maurice answered, struggling to fit something so little as his granddaughter in his big embrace. His palm was twice her tiny head and he felt that if he didn't take the right care, he would break her. "I don't believe she will cause any trouble."

Fiona went back inside Belle's chambers and Rumple hurried to do the same, closing the door behind him and walking towards the bed, where he took a seat beside his wife, looking away as the fairy started to exam her. Suddenly, Fiona stood up, quickly reaching for the things she had separated earlier and bringing them to bed, placing the items there as parting Belle's knees.

"She is ready."

"No," the princess whispered weakly, "she is not."

"Come on, Belle," Fiona gave her a sceptical glance, "you're braver than that."

Belle wanted to scream at her saying that Fiona was so damn wrong that she couldn't even begin to tell, but there was a part of her, the logic one, that knew once her child was out, the pain would pass, like it simply had never been there before and it kind of gave her some strength. She nodded at her mother-in-law, adjusting herself on the pillows and grabbing Rumple's hand. It didn't matter if she wanted to do it or not, now she had to, so that's what Belle did, taking Fiona's commands and thinking about holding her child.

She clenched her teeth, holding the screams of pain whenever she pushed, the drops of sweat sliding down her now reddish face as Fiona kept encouraging Belle to go ahead, which only made her want to punch the fairy, because optimism was the last thing somebody in pain wanted to hear, but finally it got to its end, when she felt herself get strangely empty and her mother-in-law received the baby in her arms.

Allowing herself to fall against the pillows, all Belle could do for a long moment was to pant as she heard, full of relief her child's cries filling the room. She had been fearing this moment for so long, thinking that maybe the baby wasn't going to cry, just like what happened when its sister was born, and yet there was that amazing sound, guarantying her that it was alive.

"Is she alright?" Belle asked as her husband petted her hair with the brightest smile she had ever seen, taking his face.

"He" Fiona corrected, "is very beautiful."

The fairy laid the new-born on its mother's chest. A little boy, certainly bigger than Colette, squealing until he felt the first contacts with the skin of his mother's hand, that gently caressed his bareback, slowly calming him down and causing him to open his big brown eyes and bring his small fist up, his mouth sucking at it with soft little noises. Fiona was right, he was perfect.

"Oh," the princess gasped, tears streaming freely down her cheeks as sobs started to erupt from her throat.

"Sweetheart," the Dark One started, his voice full of concern, "what is it?"

For a moment, she couldn't answer, all Belle could manage to do was to cry as she stroked her baby's back repeatedly. She was happy, however, she was also in panic.

"I'm sorry, Rumple," Belle mumbled. "I'm so sorry it is a boy."

Immediately, the Dark One shooked his head, a sad expression crossing his face, because he knew this fear his wife was feeling now was not just caused by the prophecy, but also by his previous reactions whenever the possibility of the child being a boy came to his mind. Of course, he had been way gentler during the last two months, vowing to protect her and the babies, despite of anything, but Rumple still had left a scar on her heart that couldn't just be erased this simply.

He covered her hand with his, just above the little boy which still seemed really confuse, but unlike his sister, appeared to be way more peaceful and less fussy.

"Look at me," the imp asked his wife, cupping her cheek with his free hand, gently stroking her soft skin. "Sweetheart, you have nothing to be sorry about. You gave me a strong, handsome heir."

"But..."

"I love you and I love him," Rumplestiltskin remarked, taking the babe from her and nestling it in his own arms.

Fiona handed him a blanket to cover the little boy and he quickly wrapped him in the soft yellow fabric, smiling mesmerized at the child as Belle slowly stopped to cry, sniffling and wiping the corners of her eyes.

"You can give him a name if you wish so. I named our girl, now it's your turn."

The Dark One thought about it for a moment. He wasn't expecting her to ask such a thing, and they never even talked about babies' names, so Rumple just assumed that Belle would come up with something at the right time. But now he had to make a choice and he found it rather difficult. It took the imp some minutes, but the perfect name finally came up to him, as if it had been on his mind all the time, ready to be given to that sweet boy.

"Baelfire," he announced. "My pride and joy."

Lifting the babe up, Rumplestiltskin brushed his green-gold lips to his small brow, hearing Bae hiccup slightly before he felt the wave. It was powerful. The most powerful magical act he had ever felt, even more powerful than the True Love's Kiss that woke Colette up from the sleeping curse.

Something started to happen to him, inside and out he could feel himself burning with renovated power as his mother and wife gasped with surprise. The room seemed to be filled by a blinding light that came exclusively from him and then, when it lighted off, it was all over.

"Rumple," Belle muttered in awe holding up a hand to touch the tip of her fingers in his now human pinkish skin. "Oh, gods..."

Looking down at his own hands, Rumplestiltskin could see the same calloused fingers of the spinner he once was and when he glanced at the full-length mirror that was placed on the wall next to him, he could see that his eyes were no longer the reptilian ones that darkness had made appear, but the same brown ones he now shared with his new-born son. He was human again.

"The boy will come and destroy what darkness created," Fiona recited. "Your love and acceptation for your son broke the curse."

"But I can still feel the magic inside me," Rumplestiltskin said, very stupefied.

"Yeah, just no longer dark," his mother laughed with happiness. "You became light, my boy."

He couldn't contain the joyful chuckle that came up from his own throat, and when he glanced back at Belle, he saw that she had happy tears falling from her gorgeous blue eyes.

"Belle, he saved me," Rumple whispered pointing at their son.

"Yes, my love," she agreed, pulling him down for a kiss. "Indeed."

For a couple of minutes, they were just utterly and extremely happy, because life couldn't be more surprising or wonderful.

* * *

Waiting for some news was simply horrible and Maurice hated not being in control of the situation, as he usually was, but staying there with Colette was certainly a welcoming distraction. He was really happy that Belle had chosen to give her daughter her mother's name, because he knew if his wife was still alive she would be very proud of the fierce woman their princess had become and if he spent many time watching his granddaughter he would swear he could see some of his wife's features on her.

Maurice hoped the other baby would born healthy and they could find a way to get themselves rid of whoever was threatening his daughter's happiness. He looked at the storm outside his window and suddenly heard the door being open to reveal a very slim woman, with short curled hair, wearing peasant clothes.

"King Maurice," she greeted with a smile.

"These chambers are out of the reach," the king immediately said, stepping forward to cover the small crib and not allow the woman to notice it. "I thought I was clear about that."

"Oh, you were," she nodded, coming closer and toying with a thin stick in her hands. "But I'm not one of your maids."

She was right, he had never seen her around the castle and as much as he never payed a great attention to the help, he also knew that all of the maids in there wore red knee-length dresses, but this woman was wearing a long blue one.

"Who are you, then?"

"Someone who is very, very angry with the lies that had been told around this kingdom," the woman said, slowly, glancing at the baby that he desperately tried to behind himself. "You have a beautiful granddaughter, Maurice."

"Get out, or I'll call for the guards."

He was ready to do it, to take the child and run away from there, leaving his knights to deal with her, but an invisible force threw him away, making the king fall against a nightstand that broken into pieces with his heavy weight.

"Oh, no," she murmured, picking up the babe. "I need a new fairy and I think I can raise a great one. Say hello to Purple."

The woman became blue light and diminished until she seemed no more than a bug on the room, flying away through the open window with Colette in her arms, as Maurice tried to stand up, but kept falling back, because his abdomen had been impaled by a piece of broken wood.

"No," he manged to mumble. "Please, come back!"

But nobody was there to hear him anymore.


	20. Revenge

The last thing Fiona wanted to do was to have a chat with king Maurice, but she had to give her son and his wife some time alone with their new-born. She couldn't explain how happy she was that the Dark One's curse had been broken, and it gave her some hope. Maybe, she thought, now they could finally find some happiness.

She knew that the last thing Rumple wanted either way was to have her in his life but if he was going to cast her away, at least she would leave knowing he had his family and he had she never had of getting a real life with his True Love and children. However, it didn't stop Fiona from wishing she could stay near, because she was totally in love with the babies and really wished she could work things out with her boy.

The hallway was silent and she could hear the echoes of her own steps as she reached the king's chambers, stopping in front of the door and knocking on it.

"King Maurice?" The fairy called. "King Maurice, it's Fiona. Belle gave birth a beautiful healthy boy, both are alright and she wanted to see you."

There was no answer, what Fiona thought to be at least odd, because she should be hearing something, even if it was just Colette's baby noises. However, the fairy didn't know it, but inside that room, there was no child and the king was laid on the floor, trying to answer her but feeling unable to, as the pain continually rip through his body from the place where the broken wood had impaled him.

"Belle..." he only managed to mumble under his breath. "My Belle."

"King Maurice, are you there?" Fiona asked again, but this time, feeling a little concerned, she opened the door and gazed around the empty room, until her eyes settled on the fallen form of Maurice at the floor. "Oh gods! What happened here?"

A thick puddle of blood had formed beneath him and Fiona held herself in place as she fought the instinct of kneeling beside him to use a magic she didn't have at the moment to heal the wound. Her head turned to the other side, where the crib was set and when she realised that it was empty, her heart started to pound faster inside her chest.

"Colette..." Maurice whispered. "She took Colette."

She. Fiona knew very well who was she and that fairy was going to pay if she did any harm to her innocent granddaughter. That was it, Blue's final move to ruin her life. The blood was boiling in Fiona's veins and not even when she was banished to the Dark Realm she felt such dark urges pooling to surface.

"Don't move, I'll bring my son and he will heal you."

Turning her back to him, Fiona hurried to reach the hallway again, immediately heading to Belle's chambers. They needed to be quickly and it was pain to her heart to need to separate her son from his wife right now and leave her alone with the new-born when she must be feeling exhausted and sore, but she had no other choice. Opening the door, she casted a serious glance to her son, who still had Belle nestled against his chest as she feed the baby.

"Rumple," Fiona called, gesticulating for him to come out with her, but he didn't make any effort to move.

"Where is the king?" Rumplestiltskin asked, instead. "I thought you would bring him."

As if everything always occurred according the plan for them. What a joke.

"Care to come here for a moment?"

Belle looked up for the first time, her eyes leaving her baby's little face to set on her mother-in-law with that acknowledgement shinning in them. She knew something was happening, however Fiona didn't want to admit that, because she couldn't just tell the poor Belle that her daughter had been captured by Blue. No, right now she needed to rest and think about anything else, but Baelfire.

Pressing a long, delayed kiss to her forehead, Rumplestiltskin caressed the back of her head before standing up, still smiling at his wife.

"I'll be back in a second, my love," he promised, going straight to where Fiona was and closing the door behind them after they found themselves in the hallway again. "What is it?"

It was certainly odd to look at Rumple and see the spinner she met so long ago, instead of the powerful, terrifying Dark One. His hair was greying, the locks falling straight to frame his face, his eyes, a perfect copy of hers, warm with the colour he had just passed to his own son, even if he was still an imp when the boy had been conceived. That made Fiona feel grateful even for second, pushing away from her mind all the things that had been a concern. He was human again and she couldn't be more thankful to Belle for loving him when he needed to be loved and believing the goodness in him when nobody else could. She would forever be in debt with the princess of Avonlea, which was why she needed to save the king.

"Blue was here," Fiona finally told her son. "She took Colette."

The expression in Rumplestiltskin's face slowly changed, becoming wild and full of such a fury that she swore he could kill the Blue Fairy in that right moment if she was anywhere near.

"She did what?"

"You need to come with me," the fairy continued as if he hadn't said a thing, because she couldn't let Rumple just drown in his hate and storm outside the castle, looking desperately for a way to enter the fairy's place like he had done for the last year or so. "Belle's father is hurt, you need to heal him and then you need to take this thing off of me, so I can help you."

Lifting her wrist, Fiona pointed the black cuff that blocked her magic. If she only had her power she could guide him to the secret forest where the fairies hide and then they could discover a way of entering there and taking Colette back. But, just like she predicted, making Rumple give her powers back wasn't going to be an easy task.

"I can't," he said, shaking his head.

"Look son, I know that you don't trust me, but tonight you have to," Fiona almost begged, "because that's the only way we can save your daughter."

His daughter. His precious Colette. Those words made a strange feeling settle on his chest, a heavy coldness that made him feel like somebody had just filled his heart with lots of snow. It was fear, he soon realised. Rumplestiltskin had felt the pain of losing his child once, he wasn't to allow himself and Belle to face grief again, because he knew they couldn't take it, not now when for a brief moment they thought they had been lucky enough to get everything they've ever wanted.

"Where is Maurice?"

"In his chambers," Fiona promptly answered.

Grabbing her arm, he covered the black cuff with his hand, letting the magic spread around his fingers to make it fall on the floor, taking a gasp from Fiona when she felt her powers springing free again, just waiting to be used.

"I'll give you my trust this once," Rumplestiltskin warned her, "if you break it, then I will hunt you down and slit your throat. Understood?"

"Yes," his mother nodded.

Realising her from his grip, Rumple made his way through the corridors, until he reached the only half-opened door, the one which lead to Maurice's chambers. Quickly enough, he kneeled beside his father-in-law, glancing at the open wound on his abdomen with genuine concern.

When Fiona reached him, they worked to take off the broken wood that had impaled the king, making him scream loudly and more blood pour from the cut, however Rumplestiltskin used his magic to stop the bleeding and close the wound, healing him fully.

Maurice took a deep breath, thankful that the pain was gone.

"Belle is fine?" He asked.

"Aye. You have to go and stay with her. Fill the corridors with knights ready to die for her, and don't let anything happen to my wife," helping him to stand on his feet, Rumple gave Maurice one last piece of advice: "Don't tell her about what happened."

The last thing they needed was for Belle to freak out with concern and try to do something stupid, like getting out of bed in an attempt to try helping them, when she had just given birth. He didn't need to worry about her having a bleeding too, but Maurice seemed very aware of the reasons why he should keep his mouth shut, when he nodded with a serious face and disappeared through the door.

"Blue must have went to the fairies' place knowing that we can't enter there," Fiona started as soon as the king was gone.

The former Dark One grinned at her in impish way, even though now he was just a man again, then he pressed a hand to his own chest and captured the heavy beating heart to allow her to see it was no longer black, but totally red without a single dark spot ruining it.

"You don't, mother, but now... I can."

Fiona's released a gasp, some new hope making her own her flip happily on her chest. Apparently Blue hadn't thought about everything, because now, Rumplestiltskin was not just light, but he was also pure of heart.

* * *

Belle's weary eyes were almost closing. She tried to keep the open while she cradled the baby, but everything she wished was to someone – anyone – to come back and take him from her, so she could have some sleep. Her whole body was sore, Baelfire seemed to become heavier at each passing second and her arms were too tired to keep holding him.

Oh, she so loved that boy, but she needed to have at least a couple of hours of sleep before she was recovered enough from labour to feel ready to be a proper mother again. But all Belle could do was to wonder what was so urgent that took her beloved husband from her side and dragged him away with him preoccupied mother. It couldn't be no good.

Touching her child's brow, the princess tried to think straight, but there was a lot on her mind and she couldn't just find the will in herself to focus in only one thing, in fact, she was so distracted that she didn't even hear when the door of her chambers was opened to show her father.

"Hello, darling," king Maurice said, making Belle look up at him, slightly startled.

Her mouth fell open when she noticed there was a whole in his shirt and it was covered in red fluids.

"Father your clothes are damp with blood," the princess pointed out in a desperate tone. "What happened? Where is my husband?"

Maurice glanced at his clothes like it was the first time he noticed they were truly ruined, but he didn't appear to mind that at all as he continued to make his way to her as if Belle had said nothing. However, she noticed, by the way his hands clung to each other, that he was nervous about something, which was only confirmed when he spoke again and it was clearly a lie.

"He is... Making a deal."

"A deal? Just after his son was born?" Belle asked with disbelief. "That's not like Rumple."

But for Maurice what wasn't like him, was the man he saw just a while ago in his chambers. There were no scales, no creepy eyes or green-gold skin, he looked just normal, like any other man and not the Dark One.

"Do you mind me asking what happened to him?"

"A True Love's kiss," the princess explained. "His love for our Baelfire turned him into light."

"You have a beautiful boy," Maurice said with a smile, glancing at the babe in her arms.

"Yeah, he is a handsome little thing," Belle agreed, gently tapping a finger to the top of his tiny little noise. "Which makes me remember I should feed Colette, can you bring her for me?"

King Maurice stilled in place. Belle could feel her breasts start to ache in a painful way, which could only mean that even though Baelfire was sated and asleep, Colette still needed a meal. She thought it would be better if she got both babies feed before she could hand them to her father and get some rest, but when she glanced back at him, Belle saw that more than nervous, the king was afraid.

"I think you can do it later, you look tired," Maurice quickly said, reaching out for his grandson. "Let me put Baelfire down for you."

"No, it has to be now. She needs me," Belle insisted, pulling Baelfire away from him. "I can feel it. I don't know how, but I can."

"Belle - "

Shaking her head, she didn't allow him to finish the sentence.

"Where is my baby?" The brunette yelled at him. "Father, where is my child?"

Lips tightening in a thin line, Maurice murmured: "Oh, darling, I'm so sorry..."

* * *

"Gods," a fairy yelped as soon as her eyes set on Rumplestiltskin, who had been brought there by a golden cloud of smoke, which apparently was the new colour of his light powers. "There is a man in here!"

"Yeah," he answered with disdain, annoyed at the sight of so many of these creatures around, "now where is Blue?"

"That's something I want to know too," a tan, slim woman said, coming from behind one of the many giant flowers. "Close the front lines. Nobody leaves this place."

The fairies seemed to get startled, all of them moving quickly around and whispering thing he couldn't manage to hear, but Rumplestiltskin didn't have time to care about their sudden panic. He needed to get to his daughter.

"What is happening?" Asked one of the fairy's all dressed in pink, stopping by the other woman's side.

"Blue tried to murder someone," the woman answered "Her powers are weakening, but she is trying a spell."

A spell. His heart skipped a beat at this new thought, because a spell was never a good thing and he couldn't even move himself to wonder why that stupid winged creature needed this baby for something like this. Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to find the track of magic left by the attempt of starting any incantation and suddenly he could almost see an translucence line that led through the flowers.

"Yes, I can feel," he murmured, "Blue."

Being followed by the tan woman dressed in Red, which he guessed to be the Red Fairy (and one day he would still discover why they had this silly habit of having colour names), Rumplestiltskin crossed the whole fairies' place, until he ended up going downstairs to a secret vault, where Blue was standing by a caldron at the centre, wearing a huge black cloak.

As soon as she heard their footsteps she turned around, her eyes showing her madness.

"Rumplestiltskin," the fairy pronounced, opening the clip of her cloak to let it fall on the floor, revealing her wings and the baby she had on her arms. "I truly didn't expect to see you like this again. But since you took my revenge from me, I have no other choice to but find a replacement."

"Give. Her. Back," he said behind clenched teeth, only not attacking her with all of his power, because he was afraid he could end up hurting the child.

Blue shooked her head various times, stepping back and almost stumbling on her caldron.

"I can't. She will be such a good fairy."

"Blue, you have gone mad," the fairy behind him said, awestruck.

"Get out of here, Red," Blue yelled pulling the baby closer to her body. "This is not about you."

Red stepped forward passing through the frozen Rumple who was trying to decide which was the best way of dealing with this. He needed to get to Colette, but he couldn't let Blue hurt her and looking crazy as she was, he was pretty sure that she could do anything.

"I was designed to be Rumplestiltskin's twins' fairy godmother," Red announced.

"You can be the boy's, but the girl will be like us."

He was about to say that of his children needed those stupid creatures to protect them, when he saw a silver cloud of smoke appearing behind Blue, to bring Fiona inside the vault. She had a thin golden dagger in her hands and she grabbed the Blue Fairy by her neck, pressing the blade against it.

"Over my dead body," his mother said as a threat.

"Fiona?" Rumplestiltskin blinked.

She looked up at him with something that remembered a sweet smile stretching on her lips. He couldn't understand how she could be here when she was dark, but Fiona hurried to give him the answer for the question he couldn't manage to put into words.

"My heart was almost clean, after the years I have spent trying to heal. When you went away I realised that if I wanted to be pure of heart again, I needed to forgive myself. Now I have," she explained, before glancing back at Blue. "And I won't let you mark this child with your magic."

Rushing towards them, Rumplestiltskin picked his daughter from the fairy's arms as Fiona held her in place. The baby let out a loud whining sound, for which he smiled, knowing that he wouldn't let any bad reach her ever again.

"It's alright, Colette, I alright," he murmured to his child. "Papa is here now."

"Stop her! She was banished," Blue screamed at Red.

"Yes, I was," Fiona confirmed and Rumple could see the tears shinning in her eyes. "You have ruined my whole life because I had something that you envied. I was loved."

Her blade was still pressed to Blue throat, but Fiona wasn't adding any pressure to it, in order to not harm the other woman, even though her fingers gripped tightly at it, the knuckles turning paler at each second.

"I've never envied you."

"Oh, no?" Fiona chuckled humourlessly. "So, I guess I was just imagining how you looked at me full of hate every single time I succeeded in protecting someone, right?"

This time she more pressed the blade against the fairy's neck and she squealed desperately.

"This is going too far," Red intervened.

"I could have been happy," Fiona continued, "but you took everything from me and then you plotted against my boy and his family and for that, I will never forgive you."

Red took a decisive step into the other two fairies direction, a wand appearing in her hand. With a delicate flourish, light drained from Blue to the wand's tip as she gasped.

"You're destitute of your powers, Blue, and banished from this place."

"No," Blue cried as Fiona released her and Red grabbed the dagger she had in hands sliding it down the fairy's back and cutting off the wings, the last reminder of the power she once had. "No!"

"Get out," Red commanded.

Tears fell unstoppably from Blue's eyes. She glanced at Rumple and Fiona with hate, but ended up leaving the fault without another word and that was when he finally approached the trembling Fiona, holding Colette firmly in one arm as the other hand touched her shoulder.

"Mother," he called. "Thank you."

A sob erupted from Fiona's throat, when she realised that he called her his mother for the first time without any anger or disdain in his voice and she couldn't help but hug him, curling herself against his free side, her tears falling to his leather waistcoat.

"I love you, my son."

He was about to give in to the moment and tell her that he loved her too and forgave her for everything when a new male voice came from behind them, making both their hearts stop momentarily with shock.

"Fiona?"


	21. Lost Love

Slowly departing from her son, Fiona turned around, her breath getting caught on her throat. Malcolm. The last time she saw him, Blue had turned him into a pre-teen again, but now he was just her man once more and she didn't think twice before running towards him, jumping into his arms and smashing his lips into a kiss. He caught her with a suffocated laugh coming up through his throat.

It was unbelievable and yet it was real. His body was back on its form, a short beard had grown on his face and scratched hers slightly as they kissed. Fiona pulled away looking deep into his blue eyes and running a hand through his light-brown hair; there were tears streaming down her face and he cupped her cheeks, staring down at her in awe.

"I can't believe it's really you!"

"I can't believe you are here," Malcolm answered.

Behind them, Rumplestiltskin cleaned his throat, uncomfortably moving from one foot to the other as he cradled his daughter and tried not to look into his parents' direction.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I would like very much to get home to my wife," he said, urging to get out of there.

Fiona turned around, the most radiant smile filling her lips as she took Malcolm's hand in hers and dragged him to where the former Dark One was still awkwardly standing. It was in that moment that Rumple got his first good sight of his father. He could recognise some of his own lines in the man's face, but he shrunk with uncertainty.

"Malcolm, this is our son, Rumplestiltskin" Fiona introduced them, "and beautiful baby daughter, Colette."

Laughing with delight, Malcolm approached him, tapping a hand to his back as he analysed his face carefully. Malcolm had only seen him once in his life, right after Rumple was born and they were happy for just a little while before the Blue Fairy came and destroyed their hopes.

"You're a fine lad," he said, eyes dropping to gaze at Colette. "And look at this, I'm a grandfather!"

"Aye," Rumple smiled weakly, before the need of getting out of there felt too big to be ignored and he insisted: "Uh, Belle is waiting."

"Of course," Fiona agreed, leaning her forehead against Malcolm's shoulder. "I can't wait for you to meet her and Baelfire."

* * *

Belle woke up to the sound of her son crying. She slowly sat on the bed, rubbing her fists at her swollen eyes, still reddish from the long the she had spent weeping against the pillow after her father told her that Blue had taken Colette. The whiny sounds of the babe filled the room, but for a long moment, she didn't find the strength to stand up and attend to Baelfire's needs, feeling too shattered to do anything other than start crying again.

It was a good surprise when a golden cloud of smoke appeared by her bed's side, bringing her husband in. She gasped when she saw the little bundle he had wrapped in his arms and Belle quickly reached for it, stretching her arms to receive the babe from him.

"Rumple…" she murmured, nuzzling her nose to Colette's brow. "Oh, my love, you found her."

"Did you ever doubt I would?"

"No," Belle assured, still hearing Baelfire's squeals. "You came just in time. Mind to get Bae for me?"

He nodded, turning around to make his way to the crib, where the babe was fussy around, waving arms and legs in the air with a certain despair. Rumple picked him, supporting the head and watching as his movements got less agitated.

"Don't cry, my boy," he murmured, "everything is alright."

Walking back to Belle, he handed her the second child and she gave the twins a meal, until they were both sated and with eyelids closing, ready to go back to sleep. Rumple helped her straightening her nightgown and sat by her side as she cradled the children, one in each arm, looking at then with a stunned smile.

"They are perfect," Belle whispered.

"And they are all ours."

His hand caressed Baelfire's little head gently, thinking about how much things had changed along the last months. It seemed it was in another lifetime, that he had come here to Avonlea to make a deal with the king, asking for his daughter's hand in marriage in exchange for the kingdom's safety. A family had never been on his plans, nor did truly falling in love with the princess or losing the darkness that lived inside him for so long.

Rumple could still remember about Belle's frightened face as she was walked down the isle to become his wife, the moment when he decided he could never act like the monster he was, near her. It changed everything and each decision they had made since then had led to this moment and he would never regret any part of their story, although he knew he still needed to make it up for a lot of his mistakes with her and their children.

"Yeah," she agreed in a low voice. "Alright, you get Bae to the crib and I'll take Lette."

Nodding, he took the little boy from her arms and placed him back inside his crib as she did the same with their daughter and for some minutes, they stayed there, just admiring the incredible sight of the two small lives they had created together. Then, Belle turned around, palming a hand to his cheek and stroking him with her thumb, causing Rumple to close his eyes and lean against her touch.

"Your skin feels so soft now," she marvelled. "You look so different."

"Don't you like it?"

"I do, but I'll take some time to get used to this new you. Although I didn't love you any less than I did when you were the Dark One," she guaranteed, stealing a sweet kiss from his lips. "You're so handsome."

He kissed her again, probing from this mouth which's taste was the only one he needed to feel for the rest of his life – one he now knew, could end naturally, without any dagger's power keeping him from getting old beside her – and was all he would ever want. Rumple encircled his arms around her waist, spreading butterfly kissed through her face.

"Come to bed my beauty," he invited, feeling weary, "you need to rest before one of those two beautiful twins wake up in need of you."

"You might be right," Belle giggled, dragging him with her and making his chest her pillow for the night.

He held her as close as he could as he relished in hearing the silence of night as her heavy breath filled the room. And for the first time in too many years to count, there were no voices in his head.

* * *

Fiona's magic took them to her chambers at king Maurice's castle; it was no surprise for her that Rumple hadn't followed them. She took a seat in the chaise by the fireplace silently watching Malcolm wander around the room with a stunned expression.

"So, where exactly are we?"

"Avonlea," Fiona explained. "Our daughter-in-law is a princess."

"Oh," he blinked, "she is?"

He slid to the empty space near her, taking Fiona's long, slim hands in his and rubbing at her fingers. It had been too long since she had been allowed to have this kind of gentle contact with anyone. Fiona had been locked in the Dark Realm, then in Rumple's cage and only recently, with the arrival of her grandchildren, she had rediscovered some joy in this life.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Very kind, smart, a good mother for what I saw these last few months."

"It's good to know that even though Rumple had a terrible life because of us, he still found happiness."

She so agreed with him, because there was nothing better than seeing her son happy and getting the great future he deserved, after all the suffering he had been through, but Fiona couldn't help feeling slightly sad when she noticed he was already a grow man and she had lost all the precious moments she should have watched as his mother.

"Sometimes I still dream about what it would have been like if we got a chance of raising him," Fiona confessed "I feel so guilty for not being there for him."

Malcolm brought her hands up, pressing a long kiss to her knuckles, just like he used to do before, in a time where all she felt was in love and reckless. It was good to know that somethings hadn't changed through the years they spent apart.

"Once, a fairy told me that life has a tricky way of doing perfect things," he said with a small grin. "We may have been denied the future we wanted, but now we are here, after hundreds of years. If we hadn't being separated from each other the lad wouldn't have met the princess and those twins would never exist."

"You're right," she murmured, locking her lips with his and slowly moving herself to let her curves mould to his body. "I missed you, Malcolm."

One of his hands covered the back of her head, while the other rested firmly on her hip. None of them had expected to see the other again and being there in each other's arms knowing their son was safe and their whole family would be alright, Fiona decided she could never receive a greater blessing than that.

"And I missed you too," Malcolm assured her. "I love you, Fiona. I will always love you."

When she kissed him again, tears were falling to her eyes to bath his face. Everything was perfect in that night and she felt pretty sure there was nothing better in life than loving and being loved.

* * *

Rumplestiltskin finished lacing Belle's bodice and gave her a worried glance. She looked happy and healthy, the babies were fed and asleep with a nurse looking out for them, but yet, he didn't want to leave her chambers. It was about time to end their journey in Avonlea and he wasn't complaining about that, because he hated living under other people's roof and leaving like he was in doubt with them.

He longed to be back to the Dark Castle, where he could finally set up a decent nursery for the children and fix somethings before he and Belle started to really live their independent lives again, however that meant he had to have dinner with king Maurice and his parents which he wasn't exactly excited to.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay another day in bed?"

"No, Rumple, I've told you a thousand times," Belle said rolling her eyes at him, clearly tired of that question being asked over and over. "You locked me in here for a week and I'm eager to know your father. Fiona talked a lot about him."

He furrowed. The mention of Malcolm not helping to calm his nerves.

"I don't know if you should do it," the former Dark One mumbled.

Belle certainly didn't understand his point, because her eyebrows narrowed amusingly with confusion as she splayed her hands on his chest, tracing the patterns of his golden waistcoat.

"Do what?"

"Meet Malcolm."

"Why not?" She asked, still looking puzzled. "Your mother showed him the babies and you two have been talking the whole week! Even my father said they were nice people."

Yeah, stupid king Maurice, he though, just when he needed him to complain about his parents and say they were all freak people and that he wanted them very far away from his castle, the man said he liked them and invited them to dinner. Things couldn't be more ironical.

"Aye," he agreed, "but I don't truly know them, Belle. I know they are my parents, but it doesn't feel so!"

"Calm down, my love. Look at me," she pleaded, digging her fingers onto his hair and petting it. "It's alright to feel uncertain, but they are willing to be a part of this family, so we should try."

Breathing in, Rumplestiltskin nodded. His wife's sweet voice was soothing to his nerves; he loved how her faith in people seemed to never fade, no matter what they did in their past, or anything else. Belle was the most forgiving and loving person one could ever met.

"Yes, I guess you're right."

"Let's go," she encouraged him, taking his hand and dragging him out of the room.

They crossed the corridors, seeing people bow respectably for them when they passed, whispering greetings and congratulations over the birth of their children and for the first time he felt that they were not fearing him, which was strange, but in a good way. He never thought he would feel so happy for not frightening the others with only his appearance.

When they reached the hallway that led to their destination, Rumple saw his parents coming from the opposite side they were and Fiona immediately smiled.

"I thought you would already be at the dining hall," Belle said, stepping forward to take a good look at them.

"We got late," Malcolm explained, smirking at her as he glanced back to his son with an arched eyebrow. "So, this is your wife, lad? She is a pretty lady."

Rumple nodded. Belle blushed.

"Thank you, sir. It is really nice to finally meet you."

"I can tell you the very same," Malcolm said. "I'm already in love with my grandchildren, they are beautiful and I'm glad my son has someone like you by his side."

Passing an arm around her waist, Rumple allowed his wife to lay her head on his chest, marvelling at how tiny she was without her high heels. It was something he rarely payed attention to, but he really appreciated her small features.

"Well, I couldn't be happier and I can't wait to go home," Belle guaranteed. "Have you two thought about where are you going to live?"

"Your father was kind to offer us a cottage on the village," Fiona told them.

"Really?" Belle gasped, finding herself almost unable to believe those words. Her father had hated Rumple from the very start and he didn't think good of Fiona until some days ago when she helped to rescue Colette. "Oh, that makes me happy. It seems he truly changed his mind about you all."

"I'm grateful he did," her mother-in-law assured.

It seemed the good surprises weren't soon to end, which was good, because the hell of a year they had, all of them needed some time of pure peace and happiness.

"Should we go on and have a nice dinner with the king then?" Rumplestiltskin suggested.

And as Belle agreed, the four of them followed their way to the king's dining hall, where they would have a great time and worry about nothing.


	22. A Thing Of Beauty

The last thing Belle ever expected to see at Avonlea was the big party which was being thrown on that night in honour to Fiona and Malcolm's wedding. Not that she hadn't participated from lots of parties and balls, but her father had always hated Rumple and he seemed to think any less of Fiona, but it all changed when the two of them saved Colette. King Maurice loved his daughter which meant he loved his grandchildren as much as he did Belle, regardless of who was their father and apparently knowing that both Rumple and Fiona were willing to do anything to protect the babies, made him realise they weren't such bad people.

So, ever since that first dinner they shared together, Maurice had become close friends with Malcolm and Fiona. Belle had gone back to the Dark Castle alongside with her husband and children, because they must settle back at their own home, but they exchanged letters very often and, even though her father couldn't leave his kingdom to pay her some visits, Rumple's parents made sure they appeared at every opportunity they got, to spoil the babies and spend some time with them.

Their relationship with Rumple was still awkward and seemed fragile, however they were doing their best to approach their son without forcing any greater contact, showing themselves happy with each conversation they shared. Belle felt a little cheerful with the progress they were making and she didn't let herself forget she also had a lot to mend in her own relationship with her husband.

In the first days after they went back home, Rumplestiltskin and Belle divided their days between taking care of the babies – getting themselves used to their new sleepless routine – and sharing long deep conversations whenever they could. Their obvious lack of trust in each other was a problem that needed to be overcome and they talked about their insecurities with hope it would help them understand the other better.

He released the Seer from her prison, opened up as much as he could for Belle and took care of their children in such a tender way that nobody who see him with them would ever say he once was the Dark One. And, as the months went by, they watched Colette and Baelfire grown, learning new things every day, filling their days with happy giggles and sweet nonsense babbling. Neither Rumple, nor Belle had been happier than they were now.

But having a night only for themselves after dedicating all of their days to the children seemed nothing more than fair. Belle had been slightly hesitant about going to that wedding, both because it was the first time she would leave her babies with some maids and because she didn't feel exactly comfortable in her velvet green dress.

After full ten months, she had lost all of her pregnancy weight, but that didn't mean her body was back to where it was before she got pregnant, there were new curves everywhere and the dress, being tight as it was, only accentuated them, which got her thinking that everybody's eyes were on her, when they clearly weren't. But feeling self-loathing wasn't much her thing and after a while she forgot about what she was wearing and enjoyed the ceremony and the party.

The brunette looked around, trying to locate her husband after he said he was going to get some drinks for them, when she spotted Fiona, spinning on her white long-sleeved dress with Colette giggling in her arms. Belle sighed, rolling her eyes at the view as she approached her mother-in-law with a little smirk playing on her pinkish lips.

"What is the bride doing with a baby?"

"She seemed hungry," Fiona said, moving the little girl, so she was being held by one of her arms and the other could be free for her hand to stroke her chubby cheek. "And look at this precious little face!"

Glancing to the small tall table by their side, Belle found what brought the baby so quickly to her grandmother's arms: a bowl full of smashed bananas, one of the only things he children could eat with their only pair of teeth. And teething was a terrible period she wanted to be overcome as soon as possible, because whenever one was to come, the babies would scream for endless hours and nothing would soothe them.

"Fiona, we have maids tonight for a reason. Colette and Baelfire can make it without family cuddling them all the time for a few hours."

"Ah ah," Colette babbled, stretching herself in the table's direction, meaning to get the bananas.

A bigger smile stretched in Fiona's lips as mumbled to her grandchild I a childish voice: "You want more, don't you?"

But Belle knew that if Colette started to be fed now, she wouldn't let Fiona go anywhere, because she would associate her grandmother with food for the rest of the night, so she reached to pick the baby from the fairy's arm, placing a kiss on the top her daughter's head.

"Alright, enough fruits," she stated, looking straight at Fiona when she added softly: "Go dance with your husband."

Fiona chuckled, her glance lost in somewhere Belle couldn't manage to locate immediately.

"I think you'll have to take him away from Rumple and Bae first."

Then, she finally saw the two men Fiona had been watching, kneeled on the floor with baby Baelfire between then, leaning on his father's hand as he took shaky steps into his grandfather's arms.

"I can't believe it," the brunette gasped.

"That's alright Belle, you know I've been happier these past few months than ever," Fiona assured her. "And the whole family is part of this happiness."

"Well, I'm happy to know that, but yet, it is your wedding day and you need to spend some time alone with Malcom," Belle insisted, already moving herself to cross the hall. "Come on, I'm going to get this baby from him."

Rumple and Malcolm were laughing happily at Bae's achievements, watching as he moved clumsily between them, always steading himself by getting a hold in one of them. She cleaned her throat, calling her husband's attention, who lifted his amused eyes to her with a huge smile surging on his lips.

"Belle, look at this, he is almost walking!"

"Yeah, it will take no longer for him to be running around everywhere," she guaranteed, already knowing for her boy's advances that he would soon find the right confidence to walk without any support, "but for just tonight, he is going to sleep."

Belle picked Baelfire up, struggling to keep a hold on both babies now that they were bigger and heavier, however there was nothing more special than having both of them this way, reaching for each other like old friends.

"But - " her husband started to protest, both he and his father looking terribly sad that she had taken their entertainment away.

"Gods, they are not toys and you are not children," Belle pointed out, holding the babies closer to her chest. "Go do something wicked like you used to!"

Turning around, she carried the children away from the main hall where the party was happening, being immediately followed by the two maids that should have been watching for the babies. Belle could have given them back to the two women, but she actually preferred to put them to sleep herself, so she went straight to the nursery her father had set for the babies and sat on the rocking chair, calming Bae and Colette down until they were fighting to keep their eyes open and failing, falling into sleep.

She kissed their foreheads and finally allowed the maids to take the twins from her, laying them on the cribs. Only then, she allowed herself to stand up and leave the room, however as she was making her way back to the great hall, Belle felt a pair of arms curling around her waist, probably brought to her by magic.

"Something wicked, huh?" Rumplestiltskin inquired, pressing a kiss to her neck. "Do you have a soft spot for the darkness, sweetheart?"

Leaning against his body Belle closed her eyes momentarily, trying to remember the last time they got to have a proper night together, but only remembered about quick rushed fumbles, in which both were too eager and worried the babies would wake up to spend much time worshipping the other.

"Maybe," she murmured, feeling his hands gripping tighter at her hips when a burst of magic took them away from the corridors.

When she opened her eyes, Belle realised they were back to her childhood chambers where they were staying while in Avonlea. Rumplestiltskin started to open the back of her dress, sliding his hands through her soft skin. He had been drinking down the beautiful image of her in that gorgeous dress the whole evening and now he was more than anxious to slowly take it out of her, knowing there would be no interruptions tonight.

"Should I show you what is left of the Dark One?"

One of his hands cupped her breast through the fabric of her gown, massaging it as he sucked at her throat, causing Belle to moan and press herself more firmly against him, making his body twitch with desire.

"Please," she whimpered.

An evil grin took his lips as he grabbed the green fabric and throw the dress apart, tearing it until he had Belle exposed to him to her belly, then he pulled the great of the ruined gown down, leaving her completely bare to him, which made him feel himself hardening. She was breath-taking and he longed to love each part of her perfect form.

"Beautiful," Rumplestiltskin breathed.

He stood before her and captured her lips in his, allowing Belle to slid his waistcoat, then his shirt, until she had exposed his chest and could press herself against him, groaning in his mouth when her plucked nipples made contact with his now smooth human body.

"I love the feel of your skin against mine," she murmured, kissing his jaw. "I can't believe you still want me."

A frown formed on his face as he gently pulled her away just enough so he could look deep into her eyes.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because my whole body is changed," Belle answered in a shaky voice, fighting against the sudden need to cover herself. It was silly, she knew because they had already done this after she had the babies, but yet, every single time brought a new insecurity up and she couldn't help but feeling slightly unworthy of her husband's touch. "I have larger hips, larger breasts, my belly will never look the same... I'm just huge now."

Placing both hands on her waist, Rumplestiltskin took some steps forward, dragging her to bed and making her fall against the mattress as he settled himself above her, admiring the beauty she apparently couldn't see in herself anymore.

"No. Belle, you're gorgeous," he assured her in a tone so full of adoration, that she believed him. "I love how you looked when we first married and I love how you look now. Each change on your body happened to bring our children into this world, and I couldn't be less pleased with them."

His words were like a burning flame to Belle's body, sending heat to her womb and making her grow wet for him. The way he purred such lovely things to her ear while his hands caressed her curves gave her some renewed confidence, although it would still take some time for her to accept her new self. She could feel her husband's desire brushing against her inner thigh and she wanted nothing more but to pull his trousers down and unite them as one, like it was meant to be.

"Keep talking like that," Belle started, "and I'll have you locked in this room for the rest of the week."

"I'd prefer if we go back to the Dark Castle. Then you could lock me in our own Chambers," he replied.

In need of some pressure against her core, Belle folded her legs behind Rumple's backside, the leather of his black trousers brushing at her wetness and making her moan.

"You know, my father said he is now considering you a good successor for the throne," she said a little breathlessly.

"I'm sorry to disappoint him, but I'm very happy with the life I have," Rumplestiltskin said chuckling, but the sound stopped, becoming a gasp, when Belle's hand slipped through the fabric of his clothes touching his hard member. "Oh, sweetheart..."

With a wave of his hand, he was left naked to her and Belle felt grateful to that because his cock made contact with her entrance and she writhed beneath him, stroking his length and hearing him pant against her neck. Rumple took her hand away starting to rub at her clit, as he coated himself with her juices before slipping in with a gasp of pleasure.

"You are half of my soul, Rumple," she murmured when he started to move within her, each friction of their bodies making a new wave of bliss take her. "For the whole eternity."

"Yeah, my love," he agreed with a groan, "we are vowed for eternity."

And as their movements became more erratic and their cries louder, Belle clung herself to her husband knowing that in the past, when they made that vow, she never truly expected to love him, and yet she did, more than she could ever put into words.

In that night the experienced the wonderful effects of reaching their peek together, her walls clenching around him and immediately milking him of his seed, the light bursting behind the eyes of both of them as they murmured the other's name in a complete state of ecstasy. Then, they laid side by side, talking about the wedding they had just left and the future they had ahead.

* * *

It was really late when Belle slipped off the bed, pulling on a nightgown and silently walking to the nursery, where she surprisingly found both babies awake. The brunette picked Bae and placed him on his sister's crib, watching as he stared at her with uncertainty at first, before he got a grab of her nose, which luckily didn't cause Colette to cry, but to giggle and try to grab his back.

She laughed at the sight of the children playing, babbling to each other with eyes shining with happiness. It didn't take long for her to hear the door behind her opening and Belle didn't even need to turn around to know who was there, it was too easy to guess and she was glad to feel her husband's hands laying on her shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching them," Belle said, pointing at the babies. "Look, they are talking to each other."

Rumple slid to the empty space on the stool where she was sat, encircling her waist with an arm and allowing her to lay her head on his chest.

"They will be good friends," he mumbled with a smile. "I think it will be good for them to grow up together this way, because they will never feel alone."

He had felt so lonely during most of his life that he was genuinely happy to have twins, because he knew whatever the future brings, Colette and Baelfire would have one another. If they did it right, then they would learn to care about each other and never leave one alone.

"You know, we'll always be here for them too," Belle said poking his belly provocatively.

"Aye," Rumplestiltskin agreed, "but I intend to have some time alone with you too."

She smiled, her mind rushing back to some hours ago when they were making love in another room, moaning in each other's arms. Belle loved her children more than anything in this world, but she had to concur with Rumple; they needed their time as a couple, and not just to be in bed, but also to talk and to grow their relationship strong.

"Your parents can always take care of these two," she suggested, "they love them."

Rumplestiltskin turned around, needing to look right on her eyes for what he was about to say.

"The thing is, sweetheart, that I don't intend to spend much more time here."

"What do you mean?"

"Would you travel with me?" He proposed. "Whatever destination you choose, there we will go,"

Belle blinked in awe, she couldn't believe it. She remembered telling him about her dreams and aspirations, but she never thought he would truly hear it, at least not in order to make them real, mainly now when they had two babies to take care of.

"Are you serious?"

"I have never been more serious about anything in my life," Rumple laughed.

"Yes," she said without thinking twice, throwing her arms around his neck and spreading kisses along his face. "Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!"

The former Dark One felt delighted with her reaction and held her closed as she continued to eagerly kiss him and Baelfire dropped Colette on her back at her crib, causing the baby girl to explode into guffaws.

"I'm glad it excites you."

"Of course, it does," Belle assured him, but then she pulled away with some concern appearing on her face as she glanced at the crib. "But Rumple, what about the babies?"

"We don't need to go now, we can wait until they are toddlers, walking and babbling real words to show them the world too."

"So, they will come?"

What a foolish girl she still was, he thought. Rumplestiltskin would never leave a part of his heart behind and that was what the three people in that room were: a big glowing part of his heart. He couldn't go anywhere without them for more than just a couple of hours and he would never be separated from them by his own will.

"Sure, we are a family," Rumplestiltskin remarked.

"Yes," Belle nodded in conclusion leaning to press another kiss on his cheek, "and that is all I need."


	23. Epilogue

The sun was shining bright in the sky, the warm spring day perfect for a little adventure near the river. Rumplestiltskin was sat on a rock, waiting for Belle to come back with the apples she promised Baelfire, while the children played near there. He could see Bae pretending to swordfight against an invisible enemy and looked around, trying to locate his daughter and, when he finally did, Rumple's jaw dropped, as he realised that she was holding the Dark One's dagger.

"Papa," the little girl started, sitting by his side, "what is this?"

Her blue eyes were shinning with curiosity, auburn hair glowing in the lights of the morning. She resembled Belle as much as Bae resembled him, with those small details that belonged completely to the other parent and made them even more special. Smiling at her, Rumple slowly took the blade from her hands, pulling Colette close and stroking her hair mindlessly while he stared at the dagger that cursed his life for so long.

"This is an ancient object, my dear, that once held an enormous dark power, but today, is just a useless relic."

Colette's face contracted in a frown. He always thought it was amusing to see her frowning this way, because it meant she was getting concentrate and putting her mind to work, just like when her mother had a problem to solve.

"Why does it have your name in it?"

"Because it used to control me," Rumple explained, "just not anymore."

With the corner of his eye, he saw when Belle arrived, holding four red apples on her apron and slid to sat by Colette's side, the three of them leaning against each other as she offered her husband and daughter the fruits she brought.

"That's the biggest proof love can save it all," Belle said, showing she had heard a great part of their conversation. "The dagger lost its power the same way I woke you from that sleeping curse."

"Oh," Colette murmured, tracing the lines of her father's name on the blade as he held it. "This is so cool."

Rumple was about to start telling her a story, when Bae interrupted him, coming running towards them with flushed cheeks and a slightly sweaty face from the long time he had been playing there.

"Mama, can we go to the village tonight?" Baelfire pleaded. "I really want to see the festival."

"If papa agrees," Belle started Look straight at her husband, "then why not?"

"I think it is a great idea," he shrugged.

A big smile appeared in Bae's lips, and Rumple could see his excitmenr mirrored in Colette's own expression.

"Yes," the boy celebrated, rushing back to the riverside.

In a slip second, Colette was up on her feet, the dagger completely forgotten by her now. She grabbed the remaining sword Baelfire had let dropped on the grass near them and started to chase on him.

"Wait for me, Bae!"

Rumplestiltskin smiled at his children, his gaze fixed on them as he slipped closer to his wife, pulling her into his embrace. It had been eleven years of marriage now and his love for her had only increased during that time. The best deal he had ever made, the loveliest wife a man could want, accompanying him to new places every few weeks or even days, being the best mother for the twins he could ever wish for. He never thought he would feel so grateful for something in his life as he did his family.

Along the years, they had travelled around many realms, seen different things, tasted new foods, stayed in different hostels and taverns or just simply slept under the starts. Countless were the times he found himself acting like a silly boy, playing with his children like he was as young as then, although he knew he clearly wasn't – and the marks of the time and his and Belle's face and bodies were the very proof of that – but that didn't prevent any of them to keep being happy, crazy and reckless when they wanted to. Their love was also something that time didn't seem able to diminish; they would still sneak away from the children for a few couple of hours, so they could have the other's full attention and lost themselves in torrents of passion.

Occasionally, Rumple and Belle would talk to the ones they left back home through the same magic mirror that had helped them approach at first. Avonlea was in peace, Maurice was meaning to marry a rich duchess to form a powerful alliance with another kingdom; Fiona and Malcolm lived among the peasants and had taken some orphaned children under their care. Life was good and they had nothing to complain about.

So, as Belle leaned her head against Rumple's chest and they watched the twins playing with their swords, there was no real worry in their minds.

"Then where shall we go next?" He asked.

She took a deep breath, fingers tracing the patterns of his blue and gold waistcoat.

"What do you think about home?"

"Home?" Rumplestiltskin blinked. "Really?"

Belle was the very reason they started that journey. He wanted to fulfil all of her dreams and travelling around the world was on top of her list, and that got them discovering those amazing new places for about nine years; he just couldn't understand why she would ever want to end it.

But when his wife lifted her head to properly look at his eyes and he saw the intensity of her gaze, he understood she had already lived her dream. And she did it very well.

"Life is short, my husband, we've seen quite a big portion of this world, so why don't come back and settled down?" Belle queried, softly. "My father and your parents won't be around for many years now and I want to enjoy each second I can."

He nodded, kissing her knuckles.

"You're right as always," Rumplestiltskin said. "Life is precious because we only have one. And where you might lead the way, I will follow."

"Forever, huh?"

"Yes, sweetheart," he agreed, tightening his grip around her waist as he sealed a kiss on her lips. "Forever and ever."

And that night they would enjoy the village's festival, before they found a room to sleep, were Rumplestiltskin would tell their children an old tale before sleep. One about a beast who married a young princess and about how they wronged each many, many times before they finally come to terms and fought together for the little family they had created. Then, when the morning comes, they would leave, heading to the Dark Castle, where everything begun.


End file.
